Balance of Three: Three Doujutsu
by Aikuchi Shikaku
Summary: AU Naruto balances nin, gen, and tai jutsu with the kuro nin , aka gen , and aoi tai doujutsu which he acquires by performing the ritual of the forbidden bloodline after reading the forbidden scroll of seals. On indefinite hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. If I did own Naruto though, i'd be rich and Naruto would be dating Hinata right now during the manga and the series. I wish I owned Hinata though. She's cute, both 12 year old and 15 year old versions of her.

Summary: .AU. Naruto balances nin, gen, and tai jutsu with the kuro, aka, and aoi doujutsu, which he acquires after reading the forbidden scroll of seals after his second failed attempt at graduation.

Chapter 1: Kinjutsu scrolls and the Hokages of Konoha

Naruto leapt atop buildings as he tried his hardest to get away from the Hokage Tower, grinning widely as he recalled how much blood gushed out of his Hokage-jisan's nose when he asked what he was doing there in the middle of the night.

_"Heheh! I can't believe I just beat the Hokage with my sexy no jutsu!" _he thought as he moved away from the village proper into the forested training grounds that almost took up half of the village's area _"hmmn...mizuki-sensei said that if I learn just one skill from this scroll I can graduate and finally be a genin..."_ his musings broke as he felt the large scroll bump him slightly as he landed on one of the training areas

"Let's see...mizuki-sensei said he'd meet me on the furthest training ground out here, but if I want to study all the techniques on this scroll, I don't want to be found out soon, ok...time for Plan B" he said as he ran into a denser forest ground where 'his favorite spot in Konoha' was.

He found that everything in his makeshift tree house was untouched. "Good, the animals haven't touched this place yet." he said as he pulled out a regular sized, but thicker scroll, an inkwell, an ink block and a small-sized brush from a box. Wetting the ink block he dabbed the brush, which readily absorbed the ink.

"Ok, now to copy the techniques in here. Iruka-sensei doesn't realize it, but my calligraphy's better than all of my classmates combined." taking the tabs off the forbidden scroll, he started to copy the information stored in the overly large paper.

_"I guess they made this scroll as large as it can be because the techniques in here are important, and easier to read, heheh, no one can read my calligraphy other than myself so the info I write here on my scroll is safe."_ he broke his thoughts as he continued to copy the techniques and the theory behind the techniques, as he wrote Naruto's eyes widened

_"Damn, he tricked me! This scroll's techniques and theories are forbidden! When I catch that bastard I'll...I guess I better bring this back to jisan as soon as I'm finished."_ Naruto sighed to himself as his hands still worked at writing the techniques

_"Forbidden or not, this scroll has some interesting techniques, besides it would be handy if the village had a copy."_ he reasoned as he wrote in fast, but deliberate strokes, the script wouldn't make sense to anyone who would read it, except to the one who wrote the scroll. For two hours he wrote, after writing the shiki fuujin he read what he thought the last technique, but all he saw was a note and a small seal. Reading the note he was surprised that all four Hokage's have signed it letter style

_To the one reading this scroll that is not a Hokage, _

_We, the Hokages of Konoha, have been keeping the last note of this scroll updated as time wore on. If you are reading this then we fear that dark times are ahead for our village, old and new enemies will show themselves to endanger Konoha, and the other Shinobi countries' peace. We four have sealed in this note a scroll with instructions to awaken a forbidden bloodline. This bloodline will only be unsealed in time of great peril. But if someone other than a Hokage is reading this then we fear the time has indeed come. To the savior of Konoha, please protect the scroll contained within this seal, because if it falls in the wrong hands then all is lost. However, if you are not the savior of Konoha then you will notice that your body has frozen with no chance to move at all, we now implore the one reading this scroll to move his arm and cover the center of the seal in blood, if you don't do this in 3 seconds you will be incinerated by a kage-level katon technique that will turn your body to ashes instantly."_

_Signed,_

_Shodaime Hokage,_

_Nidaime Hokage  
Sandaime Hokage  
and Yondaime Hokage  
of Konohagakure no Sato _

At this Naruto's eyes widened, moving his arm he bit his thumb and covered the seal in his blood, closing his eyes as he waited for the searing heat of flames to cover his body. When nothing happened for a minute he opened them again. In front of him where the ethereal forms of the four Hokages. He recognized them from the books; he then realized Sandaime's form was somehow more solid than the others, and somehow more youthful looking than the one he looked up to growing up.

_"Of course, he updated the scroll in his prime, and he's still alive"_ he thought to himself as Shodaime spoke

**_"What is your name, young leaf of Konoha?"_** at this Naruto kneeled on one knee and bowed "Uzumaki Naruto, Shodaime-sama. Eleven years old, academy student" Shodaime then nodded as Nidaime stepped forward

**_"How did you come in contact with the forbidden scroll, Naruto?"_** Naruto, still bowing, narrated how Mizuki tricked him into stealing the scroll and how he copied it in his own script, which rendered it unreadable except for himself. Nidaime kept a neutral expression and stepped back, Sandaime had a frown as he studied his near-solid form.

**"So Naruto-kun, I take it I'm still alive aren't I? How did you steal the scroll from my office when I sometimes sleep on the bedroom just to the side of it?"** Naruto couldn't help but grin, thanking kami he was still bowing low as he told him how he defeated the Sandaime's old self with the sexy no jutsu Sandaime had a pink tinge to his youthful features in embarrassment, Yondaime chuckled, his cheeks pink as well. Shodaime and Nidaime looked at Sandaime as though he had sprouted a second head.

**_"Told you Saru would turn out as a pervert when he grew older aniki."_** Nidaime said while grinning as Shodaime smirked. Sandaime scowled back at them **"Lucky for you two you died in the middle of the Shinobi wars, or you'd have turned worse perverts than I do."** This time the brother Hokages scowled at the third. Yondaime broke the scowling match by speaking.

**_"No time for that you three, now Naruto, if Sarutobi-sensei's still alive and I'm not, then how did I die?"_** Naruto then related the events of Kyuubi's attack almost eleven years go. As he told what he knew in the history books the Hokages' faces turned grim. After some minutes of whispering and murmuring among the Hokages, Yondaime spoke.

**_"Alright Naruto, stand up and show us your stomach."_** Naruto complied and opened up his orange jacket, shrugging out of it to remove it completely and lifted up his undershirt. Yondaime looked at him intensely **_"Now, mold some chakra."_** Naruto complied again and looked at his stomach, his eyes widened as a seal, or series of seals appeared on his stomach. Yondaime's dark blue eyes saddened "**_As I suspected, Shodaime, Nidaime, Sandaime...The seals on him are of my own work, I'd recognize that script style anywhere..."_** Naruto looked up at the Hokages with confusion

"What work? What did you do to me...what you did to me killed you didn't it?" Yondaime nodded as he approached Naruto slowly, placing an ethereal hand on his shoulder. **_"Sit down, you may not like what I'm going to tell you."_**

Naruto nodded and sat down on a bench, the other Hokages sat down as well. Yondaime sighed as he began speaking **_"Naruto is the newborn child I used to seal Kyuubi."_** at this Naruto felt tears running down his whiskered cheeks

"Kyuubi? You sealed Kyuubi in me?" _"So that's why...all those hateful stares and the cold looks...especially when they say 'Demon!'"_ Yondaime nodded in silence

_**"Now, what I'm going to explain will shock all of you, but I'll try. Fortunately when the real Yondaime wrote Fuuin Jutsu: Shiki Fuujin, he updated the forbidden scroll before he fought the Kyuubi, at that time though, he knew he was going to die, I'm just absorbing the new info. **_

_**A demon's chakra is totally different in form and purpose from our chakra. It's infinitely more powerful than our own chakra as a demon's chakra doesn't depend on its body for the resource; a demon's chakra is entirely dependent on it's soul. **_

_**I've found out from pouring into ancient history scrolls and text that the Kyuubi's body had been destroyed on several occasions, but it's soul always comes back to reclaim it's body, making it more resilient to damage. Of course the Kyuubi's body also helps it to produce chakra, but it doesn't depend entirely on its body.**_

_**I don't know why Kyuubi attacked Konoha, but I would have thought a few ways on how to defeat it. But in the end I could not, so my last resort was a modified version of the Fuuin Jutsu: Shiki Fuujin, which ended my life. I knew that the Kyuubi couldn't be sealed in me or another grown person, because it was too powerful for even the shinigami death god who I summoned to help me with the sealing.**_

_**I found out I needed a child, a newborn child, who just barely minutes before entered this world. I needed a newborn because it's chakra coils have not formed yet, enabling it to adjust to the demon's chakra system as it grew up, and if the child dies Kyuubi will be taken to the afterlife with him.**_

**_Then I added another seal so that Kyuubi's chakra would be siphoned out of its soul and absorbed by the child as he grew up, adding to his own stamina and chakra reserves. I also added another seal so that if the child attempted to call on the Kyuubi's chakra or the Kyuubi attempted to overload the child with his chakra, he won't be overwhelmed with the Kyuubi's natural instincts...and that child was Naruto."_**

Yondaime sighed loudly **_"This is what I know at this point, I may have added extra seals as I went along, and I guess your living self knew what they were Sarutobi-sensei."_** Yondaime finished as he looked at Sandaime, who nodded in assent.

**"Well then, I guess this confirms Naruto-kun's identity as the savior of Konoha."** Naruto looked confused as his eyes darkened. Shodaime answered Naruto's unspoken question.

_**"Before Konohagakure was formed, we Shinobi lived a nomadic lifestyle. Moving from place to place while avoiding other Shinobi groups and/or clans dictated our way of life. I, as the leader of my own group decided to settle down to one place where we could build a home for ourselves. **_

_**Before I built Konoha we had a clairvoyant Shinobi in the group whose descendants formed the clan with the surname of Yamanaka years after. He said that after four generations of Hokage rule our village would be besieged by an evil, which will weaken it. **_

_**The rise of the savior of the known world will come after defeat of that evil which will give the savior it's first burden, the savior must be capable of carrying multiple burdens as his path will not be an easy one, the road to his victory against the coming evils will be long and hard. **_

**_Thus the past and present leaders of Konoha shall ease his burden when he reveals himself."_** At this Naruto absorbed the information and slowly nodded. The four Hokages nodded in agreement and bowed in front of Naruto. Speaking in sync.

_**"Uzumaki Naruto, academy student and the vessel of the nine-tailed demon fox, you have been given a burden to save Konoha and the known world, as well as keeping Kyuubi at bay, will you accept this responsibility?"**_

With the questions Naruto bowed low as well, his voice solemn "Shodaime-sama, Nidaime-sama, Sandaime-sama, Yondaime-sama. My dream in life is to become the strongest Hokage of all. If this helps me to get stronger, then I accept the responsibility. I will not give up. Nor will I take back my words, as this is my Nindo." hearing his words, the Hokages smiled and stood up, and in front of them a medium-sized scroll materialized. Yondaime approached the scroll and grasped it.

"**_You may now stand up, Naruto."_** Naruto stood up and flashed his foxy grin, which the Yondaime returned with equal strength. **_"Inside this scroll is the ritual on how to unlock the forbidden bloodline of Konoha."_** Naruto looked at Yondaime with a confused face.

**_"Don't be confused, a Bloodline limit is different from a Bloodline. You'll also find the differences of a Regular bloodline from the Forbidden bloodline on the scroll."_** at this Naruto's confusion somewhat lessened.

The Hokages then began sealing and approached Naruto, Shodaime and Nidaime on the left, Sandaime and Yondaime on the right. They then pressed two fingers each on his upper arms. Naruto then felt a burning and carving sensation on his arms as he fought back the pain. The Hokages finished and stepped back. Naruto's arms now had the Kanji for Sho and Ni on his left arm, while he had the San, and Yon kanji on his right. A few minutes after this Sandaime spoke.

**"Ok Naruto-kun, the kanji now tattooed on your arms contains a scroll with our personal techniques inside, all you have to do is spread your blood horizontally against any tattoo and perform the summoning technique..."**

Sandaime then showed Naruto the seals for Kuchiyose no jutsu a few times. Naruto nodded after memorizing the seals.

**"The tattoos also summons our imprints from the forbidden scroll, if you want to talk to one of us just place two fingers on any kanji and we'll answer. You can also perform a Kuchiyose to summon us, just spread the blood vertically on the kanji instead of horizontally."** Sandaime then held up his hand, and a letter somehow materialized on it.

**"This is a letter addressed to the current Hokage of Konoha, signed by the four of us and the current Hokage him/herself. This letter will bypass the council's powers to give you the highest-level access to the jutsu scrolls on the Konoha library, and most of the scrolls on the Hokage's office. My technique scroll has Kage-level fire and earth techniques which I think you'll find useful, I also have some theories on there on how to combine jutsus into successive attacks."**

Naruto's eyes then widened and grinned. "Sweet! I've never entered the library before!" after hearing this Sandaime nodded soberly and stepped back.

Shodaime then approached Naruto and began sealing again, pressing his hand on Naruto's forehead, Naruto felt something like a plant growing on his head, but the sensation faded just as quickly. The Kanji for Mokuton appeared in black on Naruto's forehead before fading away completely. **_"You have now inherited the techniques for the wood element Naruto, now if I'm correct the scrolls for this Element have either been lost or damaged irreparably, you are the only one in Konoha who can now replicate my techniques. My scroll has all the jutsus for wood element, use them wisely"_** The blonde fox nodded at Shodaime seriously.

Shodaime stepped back as Nidaime stepped forward and began sealing just like his brother, this time pressing his hand over Naruto's chest where his heart was supposed to be. Naruto then felt a sensation like ice-cold water washing over his heart. Nidaime then smiled. **_"Back when I was still Hokage, I perfected a way to gather water molecules in the surrounding air and turn them into huge amounts of water. I favored water techniques like aniki favored wood techniques, and now you have the same ability as I did. I also had a sword, which became as legendary as much as I did; it was named as the raijin no ken, a lightning elemental sword. I also have some kenjutsu techniques listed on my scroll for the raijin no ken, and since I have no more living descendants, the sword is yours if you can manage to acquire it. As I have no clue where it is at the moment."_**

Nidaime then stepped back as Yondaime approached Naruto, his face had a nostalgic smile on it. **_"You look so much like her..."_**

"Who?" Naruto asked as Yondaime shook his head. **"Sorry, I was thinking of someone else."** as Yondaime repeated Sandaime's actions and held up a scroll. **_"With this scroll, I am recognizing you as the legal heir to my techniques and assets."_**

Naruto's eyes then widened and bugged out. **"WHAT?"** he shouted. The Hokages winced at his volume. Yondaime then smiled a foxy grin, which faded quickly.

_**"It was my fault that you were orphaned, and it was also my fault that you now hold a burden that even a 'Kage like us would shy away from. The fact that I recognize you as my heir is my way of asking your forgiveness. You should have lead a normal life if it wasn't for the Kyuubi's shadow looming over you, and the hate of almost all the villagers. The scroll also has a note telling my sensei Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, to teach you ALL of my techniques. It also has a map telling you where the clan houses of the Uzumakis and Kazamas are, and how to find them."**_

Naruto's eyes widened once more. "Uzumakis? Kazamas? I have a clan? I belong to two of them!" Yondaime chuckled and nodded.

**_"Yes Naruto...you are both a Kazama and an Uzumaki. But keep this a secret ok? Uzumakis and Kazamas have powerful enemies, both here and abroad. Sadly, you are the last link to both clans."_** Naruto then became sad and nodded solemnly. Yondaime spoke again. **_"I also have a map there on where to find the training gear I used during the time when I was a chuunin, until I became Hokage. You'll also find instructions there on how to forge my special 'Thunder god kunai' and other useful weapons. As well as a scroll on how to make seals and their theories."_** Naruto nodded as all the Hokages shimmered and distorted slightly.

**_"Our time is fading."_** Shodaime said.

**_"Remember what we told you."_** Nidaime joined in.

**"You have the potential to become the greatest Hokage of all, we all agree on it."** Sandaime smiled as he held his chin.

**_"We, the Hokages of Konoha, acknowledge you and your potential Naruto, become Hokage and make us proud, we will always be watching over you and this village."_** Yondaime spoke with a foxy grin as the four Hokages nodded.

The Hokages were then bathed in a natural light as their forms faded. The light seemed to seep slowly back into the scroll of seals, in a few seconds darkness returned to the tree house.

Naruto had a smile, a true smile that reached his eyes as tears fell from his cheeks onto the wood floor. "They acknowledge me, the Hokages of Konoha who I looked up to while I grew up with hate, and they acknowledge my potential to be Hokage." He smiled as he wiped his tears with his arm; he then looked at his tattoos.

_"Well, with the Hokages of Konoha acknowledging my strength, I can do this! I will become Hokage! It's not just a pipe dream anymore!"_ he then looked at his clothes as he absorbed all they told him in his head.

"They never said if I was to keep this a secret from Hokage-jisan, I guess I'll just tell him everything that happened and then I'll ask for advice. And since I don't have any reason to be loud anymore, I think it's time to change my outfit. Orange was fine as an attention-grabber. But I think I'll be a moving target if I continue to wear this on missions...now then, let's finish the scroll and learn the 1st technique!" he said out loud as he returned to work copying the Hokages' last note and the seal, as well as learning the 1st technique on the scroll, which was 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'.

Closing the forbidden scroll of seals after learning the technique, he sneaked back to the Hokage's office and left the scroll on his desk, along with a note that he will talk to him tomorrow. For the meantime, it was time to confront Mizuki.

End Chapter 1

A/N: In the manga and the anime series Naruto had already failed 2 times and then failed his exam on his third attempt, that's when Mizuki tricked him into stealing the forbidden scroll of seals. This is AU as Mizuki decided to trick Naruto after he failed his second graduation attempt.

A/N2: No pairings yet as I don't know how this story will go. I'm leaning towards Naru x Hina as I am an obsessive fan of said pairing, maybe I won't even put any pairings at all...but we'll see what happens as this story progresses.

Mind though, I'm a chronic procrastinator and this story may not get updated regularly despite the reviews.

As this is my first attempt at writing a multi-chapter story, so please go easy on me. Please?

Any questions, suggestions, flames, angry angst-ridden remarks, violent reactions can go to the e-mail address on my profile page or on the Review page.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me hear your two-cents on it and hit the review button!

A/N3: Edited March 31, 2006 1:15 PM

_Preview of chapter 2:_

_Sandaime gathered his thoughts as he looked at Konoha's proud Green Beast. "What would you say if I said to you that you're going to be part of an experimental training program to teach a four-man cell of genin, instead of the usual three-man cell?" Gai proudly beat his chest and raised his arms._

_"Of course I world accept, Hokage-sama! This is a fine opportunity for me! But first they would have to pass my test! It is true that teaching a four-man cell of genin will not be an easy task, but I will be delighted to teach them! I will also have a victory over my eternal rival Kakashi, as he has never passed a team! Given time and my exceptional training methods, they will in no doubt, grow to be the strongest genin in the village! Because I am Maito Gai! The Proud Green Beast of Konoha! And I never fail a task assigned to me!" Gai shouted as he struck up the nice guy pose and smiled, the glint of his teeth mildly blinding the Hokage for a second. Kakashi turned a bored eye to his 'eternal rival' who once again diverted his attention to the book he was reading, labeled 'Icha Icha paradise vol. 3' _

_"Hn? Did you just say something Gai?"_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. If I did own Naruto though, I'd be rich and Naruto would be dating Hinata right now during the manga and the series. I wish I owned Hinata though. She's cute, both 12 year old and 15 year old versions of her

Summary: .AU. Naruto balances Nin, Gen, and Tai jutsu with the kuro, aka, and aoi doujutsu, which he acquires after reading the forbidden scroll of seals after his second failed attempt at graduation.

Chapter 2: of Green beasts and Survival Exams

A/N: Paragraph four, Chapter 2 of this fic explains how or/and why Naruto graduated earlier than his classmates, who were in the same year as him. If you have read the epic fic "Beasts" by saraki22 then you may have read this explanation. I apologize if what you will read seems to be plagiarized from saraki22's fic. And if saraki22 is reading this, then I apologize profusely. Thank you, now read on...

A/N2: Edited April 1, 2006. 5:12 PM. Re-Edited April 10, 2006 10:13:20 AM

Begin Chapter.

After an episode of chasing, angsting, and taunting, Naruto beat Mizuki Black and Blue with Kage Bunshin.

_"I think I overdid it...NOT!"_

Iruka gave Naruto his own hitai-ate to him as a sign of his graduation, and then promptly lectured him about the seriousness of finally becoming a ninja of the leaf. Instead of tuning out his sensei, he absorbed the entire lecture and nodded at specific points. After a couple of hours, Iruka finally finished.

"Well then Naruto, as a gift for your graduation, you can ask me anything you want." For the first time since he knew the blonde fox Naruto's face pondered his answer for five minutes and then spoke up.

"Well, for starters I'm going to need some new clothes." looking down his attire he shook his head. "If I'm going to do out of town missions, I don't want to be a moving target. I also need some scrolls on Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, just basic genin stuff, and oh yeah, a few scrolls with chakra control exercises on them, from genin to jounin, and some basic elemental jutsu scrolls, some practical jutsus for everyday use, and regular offensive jutsus..." Naruto then noticed the silence from his teacher, turning his head to Iruka he saw that the Chuunin's eyes were narrowed.

"Ok you...who are you and what did you do with the real Naruto?" Naruto then sweatdropped then shouted with a controlled volume. "It's still me Iruka-sensei!" Iruka winced somewhat at the loud volume of his student, and then laughed nervously. "Eheheh, sorry Naruto...it's just that you were acting so..."

"...Normal? Mature? Serious?" Naruto interrupted expectantly. "…I wanted to say 'weird'." At this comment Naruto frowned slash pouted. Iruka chuckled and commented on how juvenile his look was. A second later Iruka stopped his taunting and stood up, sensing several chakra signatures. Naruto somehow detected them and stayed on alert behind his sensei. A squad of ANBU appeared over Mizuki's unconscious form. One of the ANBU stepped forward and spoke up.

"We were informed by Hokage-sama that the scroll of seals was returned to his office sometime ago, and stated that it was the Chuunin sensei Mizuki, was the one who tricked Uzumaki Naruto into stealing the scroll of seals for him." Iruka and Naruto nodded. "Yes, that's about right sir." Naruto said as the ANBU turned his masked face on him, while the other squad members bound Mizuki in preparation of sending him to ANBU Prison, where Ibiki was waiting for Mizuki to be 'interviewed'.

"However, The Hokage wishes to speak to the two of you, together. Report to the Hokage tower at 2PM tomorrow." Iruka and Naruto nodded as the ANBU disappeared, taking Mizuki with them.

Naruto then turned to his sensei. "Ne, Iruka-sensei, can I walk you to the hospital? You really need those wounds of yours to be healed." Iruka then grinned as he shook his head. Putting a hand on Naruto's shoulders, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry Naruto, the medic-nins will patch me up so that I'll be able to return to the academy tomorrow. Right now, you need to go home now and sleep, because the team rosters will be announced tomorrow."

Naruto nodded at his sensei's suggestion and said farewell, his goggles still on his hands. Iruka watched the boy, now an adult. Leave.

"Naruto...you never cease to surprise me..." He smiled as he shuffled towards Konoha general hospital. Wincing at the giant-shuriken wound on his back

_"So he said he wanted some new clothes and some scrolls...well, my most excellent student of all won't be shortchanged in terms of that department!"_

He chuckled as he thought of what clothes would be fashionable, but at the same time functional enough so that Naruto can fight in them without it being damaged so easily. His thoughts about Naruto occupied him all the way to the hospital.

Meanwhile Sandaime was currently looking at the scroll's last note, which now has a footnote that says: **_"The savior of Konoha has been found, tested, and acknowledged. It is now up to the current Hokage to ensure that his growth will not be stunted, nor hindered. This is for the safety and future of Konoha. We four have given you, the current Hokage of Konoha, the power to make sure that the savior will not encounter problems during his training. His trials are just beginning, and the fate of the known Shinobi world, rests on his shoulders. Along with his other burdens, this will not be easy for you or for him."_**

Under said footnote were the Kanji of Sho, Ni, San, and Yon, along with a date and time when the note in the scroll was read. After reading the note, Sarutobi sighed in defeat. The Third Hokage resolving to sleep on it and to talk to both Naruto and Iruka tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a long day, for all three of them.

Next day...

Sarutobi currently looked at the roster of graduating genins. With Naruto's rather early graduation, there were now 28 fresh graduates for the Jounins to handle. This morning, he held an emergency meeting with the council to discuss the matter of Naruto stealing the forbidden scroll of seals. With the ANBU and Iruka's supporting report, Naruto was found innocent of the charges. Not that it mattered to some of the council's members who were out for the blonde fox's blood. He stayed quiet as he waited for today's meeting with the Jounins, discussing this year's potential genin.

Naruto's alarm clock blared at exactly six thirty am. He then blearily sat up from his bed and pressed the snooze button. Yawning loudly, he woke up as his feet touched the cold wooden floor. He was smiling as he remembered the events of yesterday. He then removed his blanket and jumped up.

"Yosh! Today I'm going to be a genin!" he said, adjusting his volume so he won't wake up his grumpy neighbors. Shrugging out of his pajamas and his gopher nightcap, he grabbed a towel and headed over the bathroom. After a refreshing shower, he went over to his closet and picked out something to wear.

Now, contrary to popular belief, Naruto doesn't have a closet full of orange jumpsuits. Sure, he had four or five pairs, but even the 'dead last' prankster knows that orange isn't that 'stealthy' of a color. Pushing said orange clothes to the back of the closet, he picked up a pair of dark red pants, which already had a strap for his kunai and shuriken holsters on both thighs, along with strategically placed pockets for holding more Shinobi gear, with a black belt for holding utility pouches. The pants were somewhat loose and ended just above his ankles.

After that came a muscle shirt of the same color, which had sleeves that covered most of his upper arms, reaching just above the elbows. It also had a few pockets for holding ninja gear, and a few scrolls. After that he picked a midnight blue vest that had straps to hold a kodachi, a ninja-to, or a full-sized katana without the strings on them, as well as a few places to store other weapons and scrolls.

He then picked up a large roll of fighting bandages in a sky blue color, bandaging his exposed skin where his clothes did not reach; he paid special attention on his upper arms as he bandaged the Kanji of the Hokages. He then adjusted his usual Shinobi gear, kunai and shuriken holster, and utility pouch, on the right places. Securing his hitai-ate to his forehead, he proceeded to make his ramen breakfast. Checking carefully if his milk was expired before drinking a glass. Grabbing his frog wallet, which he fondly named as Gama-chan, he locked the door to his apartment with 30 minutes to spare, until the bell signaling the start of the ninja academy's session for the day, rings.

As he walked briskly, he ignored the cold and hate-filled stares he was getting from the villagers, even though some were surprised that he was not shouting about and making mischief, along with his new attire. Some of his classmates called out to him, asking why he had a hitai-ate already. He just simply said he graduated earlier than expected, gave them a half-grin, before leaving them dumbstruck. That was when some of them noticed his new clothes. Some of his classmates didn't even notice him as he passed them by, because of his new attire and demeanor, along with the hitai-ate.

As he entered the academy grounds he suddenly found his 'rival', Uchiha Sasuke, staring at him. Tagging along with him was his loudest fan girls, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. Sasuke looked at him with an appraising glare, and then started to speak in a condescending tone.

"What's with the attire dobe? Wanting a little more attention? And from whom did you steal that hitai-ate? Did you grab that from some novelty store?" Naruto stared at his rival with cold eyes, and let out an unearthly growl. Making the fan girls behind him to flinch.

"For your information teme, I got this forehead protector fair and square, it's rightfully mine. I took the graduation exam a year earlier because it was within my right to do so." At this the three displayed confused expressions, though Sasuke recovered pretty fast, replacing it with his cold look. Haruno Sakura barged in on the conversation.

"You're lying! There's nothing in the graduation exam rules that says you can take the test earlier!" Ino piped in. "Yeah! If there was a rule like that, Sasuke-kun would have graduated earlier than all of us!" Naruto looked at the two fan girls and snorted a laugh, before turning his back at them.

"You'd think I'd lie about that? Shows how much you three know, especially you Haruno...early graduation is a written rule on the academy. It just isn't mentioned on the official academy pamphlet. To take the graduation exam earlier, you have to have permission from both your chuunin-sensei, AND your parents. This is so you don't lose confidence if you fail, that is also why genin graduation is only allowed when a student turns 12.

Since I'm an orphan, I don't have anyone taking care of me, and since I live alone as well, I'm my own guardian. If you don't believe me, why don't you ask Iruka-sensei yourselves? And oh...the graduation exams ended yesterday, so you can't graduate this year. I have to talk to some of our classmates before I leave, so I'll see you three later..." Naruto thought for a moment "...or maybe not... "

He walked away from them, as he stuck out his tongue. The still academy students turned away, each to their own thoughts.

_"That dobe...graduating earlier than me...heh! Let's see how he fares out there, yeah...he won't last a month as a ninja..."_

_"I wonder if what that Naruto said was true, he was always trying to trump Sasuke-kun, so this might be another prank, yeah! Just another prank!"_

_"Iruka-sensei never said there was a way you can graduate earlier on the academy rules...this must be another trick of his."_ Inner Sakura added her two-cents, while wringing a plushie's neck, resembling Naruto in his usual orange jumpsuit **_'hell yeah! It's just another trick! When I get my hands on that Naruto no BAKA! Shannarooo!'_** After a minute of mind silence they stuck their chin up, their minds synchronized with one thought.

_**"Let's see if what that dobe/idiot/baka said was true, I'm going to ask Iruka-sensei..."**_

Naruto then noticed his friends lounging around some benches over a small hill rise; Nara Shikamaru was as usual, looking up the clouds. Akimichi Chouji was eating chips, while Inuzuka Kiba had Akamaru on his head. Aburame Shino was close by on one of the tree branches, talking to one of his kikai bugs, while Hyuuga Hinata was sitting under the tree Shino was sitting on. Akamaru barked and Kiba looked up, a little surprised at Naruto's 'new look'.

"Hey loudmouth, what's with the new outfit?" Hearing Kiba's voice, Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino, and Hinata looked at Naruto, with Hinata blushing as he stared at his new attire.

_"He...h-he's l-look-king m-much more h-hand-s-some than usual..."_ Naruto waved at his classmates as he approached.

"Ohayou Kiba, Akamaru, Shikamaru, Chouji, Shino, Hinata." He was met with a bark from Akamaru, a nod from Shino and Shikamaru, a wave from Chouji, and a shy greeting from Hinata.

"O-Oha-you, N-Naruto-kun..." she said quietly as she twiddled her fingers together. Naruto nodded at her greeting, then turned his attention back to Kiba

"Yo dog breath, I was just coming over here." Naruto explained as he walked closer to the group. That was when the five focused on his hitai-ate.

"When did you graduate Naruto?" Shino said in a steady voice. Naruto grinned at Shino's acknowledgement.

"Yesterday, due to...extenuating circumstances, they let me graduate earlier than expected." Kiba looked wide-eyed and blurted out his words.

"N-no way! There's no way Iruka sensei let you graduate early!" Naruto gave Kiba a slightly annoyed look, and revealed the requirements for early graduation. After his explanation, Shino nodded his understanding, as well as Shikamaru, who sighed while still looking up at the clouds

"Do you realize that early graduation means an early troublesome life for you Naruto? An early start as a ninja will just get you killed. Are you really prepared for a troublesome position like that?" He looked pointedly at the blonde boy, while Hinata mentally agreed on his musings. She was saddened that she won't be able to see him this year at the academy. but she was more worried about his early start at being a ninja.

Naruto touched both of his upper arms briefly, and felt the hitai-ate on his forehead, seeming to find comfort on its familiar pressure. He then smiled, his first true smile at his friends. Hinata blushed as she saw his smile; she was delighted to finally see a smile that reached her crush's eyes.

"Well, I really have to graduate early, I have found precious persons who acknowledge me for my strength. They expect great things from me, as much as I expect great things for myself. Besides, I'm sure you're all going to catch up to me next time we meet; a year isn't really that long anyway. Well...I have to go and see which team I'm placed in. I expect to see all of you next year as genin, ok?"

He then shook Kiba's hand and patted Akamaru, scratching behind his ears and his neck. He then touched Shikamaru on his shoulder, and nodded at Chouji and Shino. Naruto then approached Hinata, he didn't know why he needed to say farewell to the girl, and he guessed it was because Hinata's the only girl who notices him for who he is. Hinata stood up as he approached, already blushing shades redder than usual while avoiding to look at the face of her crush. Naruto nodded at her and started to talk, good thing Hinata managed to cover up the fact that she jumped, startled by her crush's voice as he began to speak.

"Well Hinata, I expect to see you next year with your team, ok? I know you're going to make it as a genin. Good luck on the academy this year." He smiled as he extended his hand. Hinata looked up, but instead of reaching for Naruto's hand, she gave him a brief hug, to which she pulled back off as quickly. Naruto never noticed her tomato-red expression as she lowered her head, never looking back at her crush's gaze on her.

"G-g-good l-l-luck Na-Naruto-k-kun..." spoke the blue-haired girl as she ran off. The four boys had different expressions as they watched Hinata go. Kiba had a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at his partner.

"Hmmn, looks like someone has a crush on someone, right Akamaru?" Akamaru barked as he grinned like only a dog can. Shikamaru said something about girls being troublesome. Chouji just nodded as he opened another bag of chips, while Shino stayed silent. Naruto was clueless as ever, emitting a "Huh?" he then shrugged it off, as it was a typical behavior of Hinata. He then waved goodbye to his classmates, and walked to the senior classroom on the academy where the newly graduate genins were placed in teams.

As his form disappeared inside the building, Kiba grumbled. "No fair...becoming genin earlier than us..." Shino turned to look at Kiba.

"Jealous?" The bug-user ninja asked. Kiba growled as Akamaru whined at his partner.

"A little..." Chouji swallowed his chips before adding his opinion.

"Well, from what Naruto said to us, his early graduation just put a lot of pressure on him." Shikamaru added his two-cents to the conversation.

"So troublesome...well, I just hope he can handle that pressure." Shino turned his gaze to the academy building, ordering one of his bugs to spy on Naruto.

"I believe that Naruto deserves the title of the most unpredictable ninja, I think we'll all be surprised on his progress a year later." Chouji and Shikamaru nodded their assent to the Aburame's statement. While Kiba just snorted. "We'll see…after this last year at the academy, we're going to be genin, just like him."

Meanwhile Hinata's sprint didn't take her far, just outside the room where her cousin's class was waiting for their team placements, seeing Naruto go inside, she hid behind the side of the building. Clasping her hands together, she sent a prayer of luck for her crush.

_"Ganbatte Naruto-kun, please take care of yourself, and may kami make you grow stronger." _As she was saying this a black speck landed on her shoulder, seemingly intent on observing the events in the room, much like what the lavender-eyed girl is doing at the moment.

Iruka looked at this year's batch of graduates, he thought for a moment which of them would make it to this year's batch of genin. He then noticed Naruto's presence as he walked into the room, noticing his new attire. He nodded his approval at his student's new appearance. Naruto gave him a nod and a small grin as he took a seat somewhere on the middle of the classroom. Iruka watched Naruto make his way to an empty seat, his thoughts focused on his soon-to-be former student as he grinned.

_"Well, maybe Naruto will break tradition again, and instead we'll have ten genins graduating this year."_ When he felt that there wasn't going to be a latecomer, he cleared his throat as he started his speech.

Naruto walked into room 109, instead of his usual classroom number 105. As he entered the classroom he noticed half of the graduating class were there already, including Iruka. His sensei nodded as he walked in the room, he then gave his sensei a grin and a nod, while he waited for his name to be called for his team placement. After a few minutes he heard Iruka clear his voice, which started the meeting.

"Good morning to all of you and congratulations on passing the genin exam. Today you will be placed on three-man teams, along with a Jounin sensei, to make up a genin cell to start off your careers as ninjas of the leaf. After the team announcements, you will stay in this classroom to wait for your Jounin-sensei to pick you up. Now, usually a graduating class consists of 27 to 30 genins. This year we have an exception, as one of you came from a junior class, but managed to wing the exam to pass." Naruto had a small grin on his face, as his sensei Iruka acknowledged him yet again.

"Because of this situation, one team from this year's graduating class will have four genins in one cell. Now, for the team assignments: Team One..."

Sarutobi looked at the assembled Jounins as he talked about what to expect from this year's batch of genins, and what the mechanics of some of the newly promoted Jounins' genin survival exam would be. He then looked at the more experienced, senior Jounins, who seem bored of the talks and were just listening.

After some more deliberation from the new Jounin, he dismissed the meeting; some of the Jounins were excited to gather their cell, while others still lounged around the meeting room. After all, the academy just needed nine or ten Jounins for each graduating batch, and of the thirty or so students, only nine will make genin.

"_Maybe…maybe just this year…" _Sarutobi grinned to himself, recalling Iruka's report of Naruto severely injuring Mizuki with a hundred plus shadow replications, with the blonde himself leading the charge to avenge his already waning honor. The third then focused his attention on a rather noisy corner of the room.

A Jounin in a green leotard and orange leg warmers was talking to a masked Jounin, who had gravity-defying silver-gray hair, his hitai-ate covering one eye. The latter ignoring the former's attempts to challenge him, as was usually the typical, day-to-day interaction of the two. The Hokage recognized the 'Eternal Rivals' Copycat Nin Sharingan Kakashi and the Green Beast of Konoha, Maito Gai. Sarutobi called out to the somewhat weird Jounin. Well…the weirder Jounin of the two.

"Gai..."

Instantly, he found Gai, who was on the other side of the room, already on his side. The third generation fire shadow shook his head mentally. Weird he may be, but the Hokage recognizes Gai's prowess in Taijutsu. Sandaime was contemplating his choice of words to say at Gai, so that he can get the best answer from one of his elite Jounin.

Sandaime had just gathered his thoughts as he looked at Konoha's proud Green Beast, and then spoke. "What would be your answer, if I said…that you're going to be part of an experimental training program…to teach a four-man cell of genin, instead of the usual three-man cell?" Gai proudly beat his chest and raised his arms.

"Of course I would accept, Hokage-sama! This is a fine opportunity for me! But first they would have to pass my test! It is true that teaching a four-man cell of genin will not be an easy task, but I will be delighted to teach them! I will also have a victory over my eternal rival Kakashi, as he has never passed a team! Given time and my exceptional training methods, they will in no doubt, grow to be the strongest genin in the village! Because I am Maito Gai! The Proud Green Beast of Konoha! And I strive to never fail a task assigned to me!" Gai shouted as he struck up the nice guy pose and smiled, the glint of his teeth mildly blinding the Hokage for a second.

Kakashi turned a bored eye to his 'eternal rival' across the room for a second. He then diverted his attention back to the book he was reading, labeled 'Icha Icha paradise vol. 3'. Kakashi had a bored tone as he spoke to his 'eternal rival'.

"Hn? Did you just say something Gai?" Hearing the usual words, Gai's face turned red in embarrassment as waterfall-wide tears poured from his eyes and cascaded down his face, all the while shaking a finger at his eternal rival.

"Oooooh! As expected of my eternal rival! Brushing me off completely with his cool, hip ways!" The Hokage broke Gai's musings and ordered the Green Beast to pick up the team assigned to his command already. As Gai left the meeting room in a green blur with his team's names, Kakashi closed his book and casually strolled out the door. The Hokage gave a pointed look behind the Copy ninja's back. Given his reputation of punctual lateness, it would be a while before picking his potential students up. Sarutobi's thoughts then turned back on the scroll of seals.

_"I really have to discuss that footnote with those two..."_

Naruto paid attention as Iruka announced the names for the genin teams. After reading the names for team eight, everyone realized that the last team roster that Iruka will be reading would consist of four members. "...And last, but definitely not the least, Team Nine: Hyuuga Neji, Kirimai Tenten, Rock Lee…and Uzumaki Naruto."

There were murmurs from almost the entire senior class

"Uzumaki? Who's that?"

"That kid who my mom calls a 'freak' "

"Oh yeah! That prankster kid who painted the Hokages' faces on the monument about a dozen times..."

"Oh...'That Naruto' kid..."

"…Who's Naruto?"

"…"

"Where's Naruto…" One graduate said as he was looking at a game book, trying to find 'Naruto' instead of Arnold.

Suddenly, Naruto felt the temperature drop a notch as he was subjected to some of the coldest, and hardest stares he had to endure in his lifetime, half the reason being the senior class disliked him because of his pranks, half reason being the self-proclaimed 'The collective Neji fan girls of Konoha tm.' glowered at him for being picked to be in their idol's team, but mostly because their parents told their children to avoid him and hate him with a passion they did not care to explain themselves. Naruto shuddered in anger.

_"Kuso...this is like Sasuke-teme's fan club all over again...damn those stares, can't see that i'm not Kyuubi? I'm just a vessel for the demon damn it!"_

Sensing the rise of hostility levels, Iruka closed the roster folder with a snap, catching the attention of a whole class.

"Like I said prior to reading the team placements, please stay here until your Jounin sensei picks you up. Good luck to all of you, and may your careers be fruitful." Iruka nodded as he said farewell to the class, nodding at Naruto as the blonde gave him a grateful smile. Exiting the door, he proceeded to room 109, where Naruto's classmates were waiting for him, to teach them again for another year.

After Iruka left the class separated into their respected teams, Naruto then noticed the other people that would make up his team.

_"Hmmn...That must be Hyuuga Neji; he also has pupil-less eyes like Hinata. I wonder how they're related..."_ He then paid attention to the only girl in their group, who was absently playing with a kunai.

_"Tenten huh? Looks like she likes weapons, if she's not like one Sasuke's fan girls, we'll get along rather nicely."_ His musings were broken by a voice that sat beside him.

"Excuse me, are you Uzumaki Naruto?" Naruto turned his head to the voice and smiled. "Yes, i'm Uzumaki Naruto, pleased to meet you…and you are...?" Naruto held out his hand, the other boy promptly grasped his hand and shook it with a little more eagerness than usual.

"Hello Uzumaki-san, I am Rock Lee, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Naruto then observed his teammate, He wore a white undershirt with loose sleeves, along with a light-green Chinese style jacket, which was opened fully and seemed to conform to his undershirt. He also wore matching pants of the same style and color. His hitai-ate was worn in the traditional style on his forehead, the cloth of the hitai-ate in bright red.

Naruto then noticed his big round eyes and the caterpillar-like eyebrows, with a cartoon-esque three eyelashes on the bottom of his eyes completing his look. Naruto squashed the urge to shudder, looks did not matter. Rock Lee was a potential teammate, ally, and friend. Lee then sighed out loud, which broke Naruto's musings and urge to shudder.

"I think it's fair to warn you Uzumaki-san-" "Just call me Naruto, Lee-san. It'll be easier for both of us." At this Lee smiled, but sighed again as his face turned sad. "As I was saying Naruto-san, it's fair to warn you...that i'm the dead last of the class." Naruto frowned at this statement.

"Why are you dead last then?" Lee then stared straight into Naruto's eyes. "I can't mold chakra. I can't perform jutsus, even the most basic ones like Kawarimi, Henge, and Bunshin no jutsu. From the start of my academy schooling until now, I still can't do a single jutsu." Naruto's eyes then scrunched up to his fox mode.

"So what?"

Lee's head, which was beginning to droop closer and closer to the desk, suddenly shot up.

"Eh? Why don't you care if cannot mold chakra? The others students and my teachers…"

Naruto then signaled Lee to pause for a moment, and gave Lee one of his true smiles. "So what if you can't mold chakra? Hell..."

At that moment Naruto edged closer to Lee and whispered as to how he almost didn't graduate early with his crap Bunshin, and how he made up for it by learning Kage Bunshin, he excluded the part about getting tricked and stealing the scroll of seals, and seeing the past and present Hokages, but included the part where he beat Mizuki with his Kage Bunshin. As he finished his story Naruto gave Lee a foxy grin.

"See Lee? Even people like us prevail sometime! To tell you the truth, i'm also the dead last of my batch." Lee's eyes filled with tears as he hugged Naruto. "Naruto-kun! You are an embodiment of us dead lasts!" Naruto just laughed nervously and patted Lee awkwardly, earning him some glares and some curious stares.

After Lee had a good cry on Naruto's vest, they both smiled as they swapped some stories of their adventures inside and outside of class. Lee told Naruto of Maito Gai, a Jounin of Konoha whom he looked up to. Lee explained that he was a Taijutsu specialist, and he thought that maybe Lee could follow in his footsteps. Naruto then told Lee that it was possible that he can also be a Taijutsu specialist. Lee went back to normal totally after Naruto's encouragement.

Naruto then narrated all of his pranking days before, and during the academy. Needless to say the two had formed a fast friendship, and were treating each other as buddies, even before Gai came.

Eventually, Neji and Tenten, who introduced themselves to the two boys, joined them. Tenten was ok in Naruto's book, as she even swapped her own tales with the two boys. It was needless to say that the Hyuuga was off in his own little world, in which he explained as meditation. _"More like brooding...Like someone I know..."_ Naruto thought.

Sasuke sneezed loudly just after the comment was made about him four doors away, which earned him with an accurate hit of a chalk eraser to the face courtesy of Iruka, who thought it was Naruto disrupting the class again. This earned a snicker from a certain Inuzuka and a bark from his dog companion, a grin from a Nara and an Akimichi, a small grin hidden behind a hand of a certain shy, lavender-eyed girl, and a hidden smirk under the collar of a bug-controlling, sunglasses-wearing boy.

Their movements were unnoticed as their chuunin sensei slash distraction apologized to the dark-haired avenger slash ice-cube slash idol slash fantasy of every girl from 8 to 50 slash hot guy slash bishounen slash seme slash asshole slash bastard slash traitor-to-be slash...well, you get the picture!

Besides, they were far away enough from the Uchiha and his fan club to warrant a glare from any one of them. Sasuke's anger intensified as his most ardent 'stalkers' fussed over his face, which earned him and the two kunoichi-to-be an eraser each, saturated with chalk, this time because the three were being too loud, earning them even more laughs and snickers and smirks. Paying attention to their own faces they sighed, as the source of their misfortune, and now anger, wasn't there anymore.

They then realized that Naruto had just played a prank on them, even if he wasn't in the room or the immediate area, they dropped their heads in defeat, as they once again performed 'synchronized thinking' for the second time that day.

_**"Damn that Naruto..."**_

When Naruto goes to bed tonight, he'll fall asleep with the widest and truest grin in his eleven year-old life. Feeling that justice had been served, at least for today.

Naruto pulled his kitsune hankie just in time to catch his sneeze in the cloth, with Lee saying "Bless you." and Tenten saying "Gezundheit." Neji just said, "Don't spread your germs on me." And returned to his brooding slash meditation.

Eventually the Jounins came in, and called their respective teams to move out. Each team then followed the Jounin assigned to them. About a third of the teams were now gone in the time span of 30 minutes.

After a few minutes more the door to the room swung open violently, catching an unfortunate graduate off guard, who toppled 11 other people when he crashed into them going at 50 mph. Needless to say, three genin teams were already injured, and they haven't even undergone their genin survival exam yet.

As the dust settled, the graduates in the room noticed that; one, Twelve of their classmates were in a tangled mess of bodies, some were even in a very compromising position, which the conscious ones capitalized on and mentally noted in their minds to tease their unconscious peers whether they were in the right gender group, or whether they had crushes on the wrong people. And two; there was a weird Jounin at the door with a brightness to his teeth that almost rivaled the sun itself, and was parading around in a green leotard with orange leg warmers.

Speaking in his 'indoor voice', the Jounin introduced himself...which shook the entire first floor in the process.

The dark-haired avenger managed to change seats, pondering that maybe his bad luck was affected by where he sat, and reasoned that whenever his 'most loyal fan girls' **A/N: translate: rabid stalkers **Sakura and Ino sat beside him, bad luck was abound. Little did he know that the author of this AU fic was controlling his luck. Who unfortunately for him; didn't like his guts.

As Gai used 'his indoor voice', the whole first floor shook. Iruka had a vein on his forehead as Gai continued speaking. Having popped his vein as the whole floor shook several times more, Iruka reached into his pouch and pulled out a set of what he thought was blunt, wooden kunai, he always threw these at Naruto whenever he became too overbearing when the erasers weren't doing their job.

Throwing them absent mindedly, he waited for the sounds of the kunai to hit his intended target, along with an 'Itte!' and a curse word or two, or so he thought. At the shrieks of "Kyaa!" and "Sasuke-kun!", he realized he made a mistake.

Sasuke sat on his haunches while gripping the top of his chair, an awesome feat in itself, but it was overshadowed by the reason that he needed to keep his reproductive parts whole. Sasuke was apparently, sitting on Naruto's second favorite spot in the class. A newly bought, razor-edged kunai, barely missed 'Sasuke's Prized Jewels tm.' by a hair's width. A millimeter more and...Pity! No more chance to revive the Uchiha clan!

Checking where his other kunai went, his eyes bugged out as he saw that Ino and Sakura barely managed to avoid his other kunai. They were unfortunately, seated on Naruto's 3rd and 4th favorite spot in class, respectively. Ino was barely saved by her waist size, it didn't stop the kunai to draw blood on her skin though, not to mention that a grinning Nara pulled her out of the way at the last second, which deemed her reason for dieting to the Nara male as "troublesome".

Sakura, being the smarter girl of the two, just ducked, but the kunai still managed to shred a length of her hair, just above the ear. The cut hair then pooled by the floor, proof of the kunai's sharpness, her long hair was now uneven in length, if she was any more unluckier, and the kunai had flown some angles higher, she would be half-bald by now. Hey! At least that big forehead of hers was useful for something! Two other kunai, fortunately or unfortunately, whichever way you call it, almost killed two of Sasuke's other fan girls.

Unbridled laughter was showered upon the unfortunate five by the rest of the class, especially the now dubbed 'Annoying Trio'. Sobering up quickly though, the rest of the class who didn't want anything to do with Sasuke's unusual bad luck avoided him like a plague until the end of class day. In turn, Sasuke avoided Sakura and Ino, as well as his fan club, in the same manner. The collective Sasuke fan girls of Konoha tm avoided their president and vice president like their life depended on it, while the rest of the class looked on in amusement. For them, this day was starting to be very, very, interesting. And it wasn't even lunchtime yet!

'The Annoying Trio' sighed, and hoped 'in sync' that their bad luck was over. As they mused their thoughts, the trio heard a disembodied and malevolent male cackle, which didn't bode very well for them. Once again with one thought in mind, they cursed their misfortune on one person, who seemed to be pranking them with a vengeance, even though he wasn't there at all.

_**"Damn that Naruto..."**_

Maito Gai's 'indoor voice' shook the classroom as he spoke with enthusiasm. Naruto's sneeze didn't even interrupt his speech. "Yosh! I have come to pick up team nine! Hyuuga Neji! Kirimai Tenten! Rock Lee! And Uzumaki Naruto!" After hearing their names, team nine stood up and approached their sensei-to-be. Gai looked at Tenten, Neji, and Naruto with an observant eye. Lee then greeted Gai excitedly and bowed.

Another Jounin entered just minutes after Gai opened the door, and called out to team eight. Team Eight got up and followed their assigned Jounin out of the classroom.

"Maito-sama! It's been a long time!" Gai then looked at Lee and bowed as well. "Yes Lee-kun, It's been a long while since we last met each other! Well then, we have to get going. The burning passion of youth awaits! Follow me and try to keep up!" At this Gai disappeared in a green blur out of the academy. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Fast..."

Neji and Tenten just sweatdropped at Gai and Lee's interaction. Lee was first out of the door, following Gai in a sprint. Tenten and Neji followed him while Naruto held the rear, their direction heading to the farthest corner of the academy, populated by covered and elevated resting places, which looked like pagodas.

With three teams on the floor, injured, but nonetheless followed their Jounins later, and Team Nine being called to follow the Jounin sensei assigned to them, and having left already, only one team of graduates was left to wait for their sensei.

Unfortunately…they will have to wait three more hours before their sensei finally decided to pick them up.

Cosmic Irony? You be the judge, dear readers…

After the sprint they climbed one of the balconies where Gai was standing. Lee arrived first, followed by Naruto, Neji, and lastly Tenten. Gai observed their breathing and found that Naruto was the least-winded by the run, followed by Lee. Neji and Tenten breathing harder the most out of the four. Asking them to sit surrounding him, he began their meeting.

"Good morning! I am Maito Gai! A Jounin of Konoha! I have been picked to teach you four passionate youth! This team, according to our great and kind Hokage-sama, is an experimental type of team, as a regular genin team consists of four people, a jounin sensei and three genins to make one cell, Hokage-sama has decided to experiment and put together a genin cell composed of four genins and a sensei! Now, how about you graduates introduce yourselves to me, tell the Green Beast of Konoha what your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future, etcetera, are!"

After a second of silence Lee stood up. "Sir! I am Rock Lee, twelve years old! I like Training and my adoptive parents! Since they have taken care of me since I was an orphan! I dislike people telling me that I have no potential as a ninja! My hobbies are exercising and strengthening my body! My dream is to prove that I can be a powerful ninja using only Taijutsu and physical strength!" Gai nodded and showed Lee his nice guy pose, Lee then beamed back at his sensei. Neji just scoffed loudly, and the others turned to him for an explanation.

"Heh, a ninja using only Taijutsu and physical strength? You have no place to be a ninja if you can't use jutsu. That was your fate from the beginning of your studies at the academy. You are not destined to be a ninja. " After Neji finished Naruto growled at him and clenched his fist. Lee was saddened by Neji's remark, while Tenten frowned.

"I don't think so."

All of them looked up at Gai. "A Ninja who doesn't use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu exists! And you're looking at him!" He shouted as he beat his chest. "Although I can use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, I choose not to use them! As my eternal rival Kakashi-kun excels at Ninjutsu and can see through most Genjutsu with his Sharingan! That is why I have chosen Taijutsu as my specialty!" Lee visibly brightened at that remark.

After hearing this new information, Naruto raised his hand. "Who is this 'Kakashi' you're talking about sensei? And what is the Sharingan?" Gai turned his head at his blonde student-to-be.

"Hatake Kakashi, Also known throughout the Shinobi world as 'Copycat Nin Sharingan Kakashi, master of a thousand jutsu.' A genius ninja, he graduated from the academy at age five, became Chuunin at six, a Jounin at twelve, and ANBU Captain by fourteen. Under his hitai-ate, he hides the bloodline limit of the Uchiha, given to him by his friend. A Sharingan lies covered in his left eye. When he brings it out in a battle, he can copy most Ninjutsu, see through the toughest Genjutsu, and evade most styles of Taijutsu. But enough of him today, our focus is on you and our team, and because you asked a question, you shall be next!" Naruto nodded in compliance and stood up.

"Hello to all of you, I am Uzumaki Naruto, eleven years old, I was an academy student a year behind you, until yesterday when I managed to convince Iruka-sensei to let me take my graduation exam early. I like ramen, people who see me for who I am, and not what I am, and training myself to be a better ninja. I dislike the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook, and people who hate me with a passion, with coldness in their eyes and who stare me down as though I am the lowest kind of person. Like Lee, I also dislike people who put me down and say that I will never amount to anything. When I found out the reason why they hate me, I resolved to myself that one of my goals is to try and convince them that their hatred for me was misplaced. I also hate other people that bully other people or put them down, like what they do to me. My hobbies are eating ramen, training, and pranking anyone and everyone who mistreat me. My dream...is to one day be Hokage, to prove to the people who hate me that their hatred and anger against me was misplaced, and to prove my existence to be worth something!" Naruto sat down, his speech awed Gai, Lee, and Tenten.

Gai nodded at his student. "Yosh! Your passion is burning brightly Naruto-kun! As your sensei, I will help you in the difficult path that you have chosen! I will help you take the path of Hokage!" Naruto smiled at his sensei, who was also smiling back at him. Neji then narrowed his eyes at Naruto, his eyes filled with a condescending look.

"Hokage? A person like you, wants to be Hokage? Fate chooses who should be Hokage. The fire shadows of Konohagakure no Sato, whose faces are seen on the Hokage Memorial, were destined from birth to be Hokage. An idiot like you does not have the Hokage destiny in his fate. You should give up your dream and focus on more 'attainable dreams'."

Hearing Neji's speech, Naruto just clenched his bandaged arms and shuddered as he controlled his fury. _"C-Control yourself Naruto, sh-shikari-shio…remember what Iruka told you last night…think before you act. You're determined to change yourself right? Just ignore his speech and focus on rebutting his statement."_

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, while counting in his mind to twenty, Naruto opened his eyes, which still had a small amount of fury in them. Nonetheless, the voice he let out was calm and controlled.

"True, I wasn't fated to be Hokage yesterday, you _were_ right about that. But that fate has been changed. I will attain the rank of 'Kage, maybe not now, but someday. But even if it weren't my fate and destiny to be Hokage, I would still want to attain it. To be Hokage was, and still is, my childhood dream. To be respected and acknowledged by everyone. I also want to protect this village, even after all that they have done to me."

Gai, Lee, and Tenten, all let out a relieved sigh, never realizing they were holding their breath at the tension that Neji instantly created, which Naruto dispelled just as easily. Gai shook his head at the future arguments these two will spark if they passed as genins, and motioned to Tenten that it was her turn. She then stood up and introduced herself.

"I am Kirimai Tenten, twelve years old, I like my family, especially my mom and dad. I also like weapons, training with weapons, and seeing my dad and mom make weapons. I like looking after our weapons store the most, and seeing the satisfied look our costumers have in their face when they use them, and when they keep coming back to buy more. I dislike people who use weapons carelessly, and don't take care of them properly. I also don't like bullies who hurt people who can't defend themselves. My hobbies are helping my mom and dad with making weapons, and trying out weapons, which my mom and dad are inventing or experimenting. My dream is to one day be a powerful and high-ranking kunoichi, like my idol Tsunade-sama, one of the three Sannin of Konoha." Tenten sat down after delivering her speech.

Gai motioned over to Neji. Standing while still while opening his closed eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, Neji spoke with a voice filled with underlying contempt and hate.

"I am Hyuuga Neji, twelve years old. I am a member of the Hyuuga Clan branch house. I like training and my family, especially my deceased father. I hate the Main House and their way of ruling the Hyuuga Clan, especially the Clan Head, Hyuuga Hiashi, who is my uncle, as well as his family. I also hate the caged bird seal. I have no hobbies. My dream is to someday prove that the Branch House is stronger than the main house."

As Neji sat back down, Gai broke the tension everyone felt from the white-eyed boy with his booming voice. "Well then! Now that the introductions are over, we are going to do something, which will involve just the four of us!" Naruto raised his hand. "What will we be doing, Gai-sensei?" Gai motioned for Naruto to wait for his explanation, and handed the four genins a computer printout.

"Before we become an official genin team, and do missions and other team-bonding activities like training and such, I will have to give you an exam, a survival exam." The genins looked at him, puzzled.

"What the academy does not tell you and the fresh graduates of each year, is that after graduation, the Jounins give the graduates assigned to them a final exam. Out of the 27 or 30 graduates, or in this year's case of 28 graduates…only three teams, usually nine graduates, will make this year's batch of genins. But since there are four of you, ten genins could graduate this year, a rare exception, in itself. It is rare for Chuunin senseis to approve the early graduation of a student.

That is why this exam has a 66 percent chance of failure. The final exam, or what Jounins generally call: 'The Genin Survival Exam tm.' will vary depending on the Jounin, those who don't pass the survival exam are sent back to the academy for further lessons and instruction, until next year.

As I am the one giving the graduation exam, it will be more difficult than usual. In this survival exam I will be testing your initial abilities, and then I'll assess what you have to work on in your skills. Now, i'm giving you a choice to take your survival exam today, or we can do it tomorrow. Which one will you choose, Team Nine?"

End Chapter.

A/N: Whew! Finally ended this chapter. This one took a bit of time to write, as I don't have reference on Gai and Lee's interactions before Lee became a 'Gai Clone' as you noticed Naruto's becoming quieter and a bit more inquiring. Also Gai must have been a bit OOC because I don't have much on his speech patterns and what he always says to his team or Lee.

I also chose Naruto's crush on 'his Sakura-Chan' to be non-existent. A little Naruto x Hinata interaction here, but still innocent and Naru is still clueless. As for the Sasuke-fans...Hey, I like Sasuke-bashing! So sue me! I also thought a bit of humor in some chapters of the fic would be good.

As always, please voice your opinions on the review button.

A/N2: This is only a preview, it can and will be changed on the final draft of the next chapter. But rest assured, what you will be reading will come out in a somewhat modified form next chapter.

Now, _-begins sealing-_ it's time for: Preview no Jutsu!

_Preview, Chapter 3: of footnotes, the Savior, and the Dual Extreme._

…_Anje then reached into his tattered do-gi and pulled out a small, but thick scroll. "This scroll contains the theory, forms, and usage of the dual extreme, as well as a small history on how I came up with the style._

_...Following the Hokage into his private quarters, Naruto saw that the scroll he stole was opened all the way where the Hokages' letter to the Savior of Konoha was located. Iruka looked puzzled as he approached the note of the Hokages, and the dated footnote under it, which was dated just yesterday. Iruka looked at the Hokage with a puzzled face. "What is this footnote doing here, Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi blew on his pipe "I believe Naruto-kun can explain what it is. Iruka-kun..." They then both looked pointedly at Naruto. Who gulped loudly as twilight settled on Konoha. _

_"I am SO screwed..."_

A/N3: I'm Back! This writing thing is somewhat getting easy. I also appreciate the reviews you're giving me, good, bad, or ugly. I hope I won't disappoint all of you. Now, to answer some reviews! Chapter 1 reviewers for now, I'll do chapter 2 reviewers on chapter 3, so please don't be disappointed!

Dragonman 180: Thank you for reviewing, Yes, Naruto really has lots of potential; some people just have to push him in the right direction. If you have read the fic 'Foxhound' by Kraken's Ghost, Kakashi acknowledges Naruto as a 'Potential Incarnate' a little too late after the fact he ignored him for years. Just shows how biased Kakashi was before Sasuke's defection. The pairings are still up in the air, sorry about that, but your vote has been acknowledged. About Naruto stopping Neji's obsession in fate and destiny? Well, we'll see -winks-

neosildrake: too powerful? Nope, he'll start a little weaker than his manga and anime self, although the freakish stamina is there, that's all there is at the moment. He will have to learn Mokuton and Suiton jutsus from scratch. But I will give him something that, I hope, will keep him up to Lee's level. The pairings are still up in the air, but your vote is acknowledged. For now i'm focusing on character development for Naruto and the rest. If you have any suggestions then send me an e-mail or a private message. Thank you for reviewing.

Dj Rodriguez: I'll try to post updates at least weekly, but don't count on it too much. Your vote has been acknowledged, but are you voting for both? I don't know if Naru Ino is possible in my fic. But if you have to vote again, please vote for one pairing only. That also applies to the other readers.

granite69: Yeah, I do as well. My opinion is that Naruto's potentials have a better chance of growth under Gai, or any other sensei BESIDES Kakashi. Teaming him up with Sasuke was a bad idea from the start. In 'Foxhound' by Kraken's ghost Tsunade said to Kakashi that he made the same mistakes Sandaime did, he Sarutobi invested on the wrong ninja Orochimaru instead of Jiraiya like what he Kakashi did Sasuke instead of Naruto Well, About Naru shoving his tongue down Hina's throat...eww. I haven't come across some fics like that. But if you want to read some good stories just look at my profile's favorite authors and stories. I think it's a good start. Also check out 'Kyuubi's Gou' by Urufukiba22. It's epic-length. It's NaruHina. And Naruto doesn't fall for Hinata until about halfway to the fic. An example of a good Naru x Hina fic.

dragonzice: Yes, Gai's team but with Naruto as the fourth genin. I believe that in the anime Tsunade suggested in a meeting that every genin team, or a squad of chuunin, has to have an extra member who knows field medicine and healing and basic battle support. I don't know yet if Naru will take up the healing part, but he will be the main backup of Team Gai.

Wrath of Air: Cool name! Well, i'm still working on my paragraphs so please bear with me. I'm still working on the pairings, but I think it's still up in the air, let's see what my muse says. If I have one -grins- but your vote is acknowledged.

Gozen V: Thank you for the compliment. Naruto fics are so diverse, so i'm flattered to hear that my fic is somewhat original. I'll take a look at your faves when I have the time.

demon-sword: This is my first multi-chaptered fic, so I have some enthusiasm doing this. I agree with you when I say that a lot of people abandon a lot of fics with high potentials to be a good read. Reviews fuel a writer's inspiration, so keep them coming. I'll try to update regularly as possible, but i'm not making any promises.

vanessa200078582atyahoodotcom: Anonymous? Well I'll try to keep you on the edge, I think. Thank you for reviewing.

imaginaryfriend101: Another Anonymous? Please believe me when I say that Naruto won't be the usual loudmouth, annoying brat that he is. He'll mellow down, somewhat. Pairings is still in the air, but your vote is acknowledged. Naruto won't be too powerful too fast. He has a lot of things to do before he gets to that level, and when he does... May Kami have pity on Sasuke-teme AND Kakashi, because i'm going to have Naruto wipe the floor with them -evil cackle-

the benjamin: Yes, he has a lot of training ahead of him...I plan on him to kick Sasuke's ice-cold ass, and then some. Yes, Naru x Tenten is very rare. But like I said the pairings are still up in the air. But keep convincing me what pairing should be in this fic.

Zero: I think i'm getting what you're saying, please continue to read this fic, i'm still working on my writing skills so please bear with me.

Merkitten: Cute name, the pairings are still up in the air, as I'd really like to work on character development of Team Gai, especially Naruto.

Witheringwings: Yes, I like the 'mature Naruto' plot device. Kishimoto-sama made him the way he is, but it's just a mask, after all.

Stormraven: Thank you for the review. The Hokage-Naruto interaction was a thought that came to me when I was just starting the fic, i'm glad you found it very interesting. Naruto will acquire the blood limit soon. How will he acquire it? You'll find out soon as well.

EmInArEvOl: Hindi naman masyado, ngayon lang ako nagsimula ng ganitong klase ng fan fiction. Heto, off-student ako kaso may work. Hindi rin ako ganung ka-sipag, masaya ako na may nagbasa ng fanfiction ko na pinoy. Sana mag-review ka ulit

Underdark Ranger: I admit that Naruto was GIVEN scrolls. I admit that Naruto was GIVEN the ability to perform Mokuton Jutsus. I admit that Naruto was GIVEN the ability to draw huge amounts of water from air molecules. I admit that Yondaime made Naruto the heir to his finances and techniques. I admit that Naruto was GIVEN TOOLS AND WEAPONS to further his training. BUT... he still has to LEARN ALL of what was GIVEN to him. And in my fic, he will have to EARN all his skills and abilities.

The Naruto in this fic is a genius of hard work, much like Lee. And he will not be super-powered too soon. Wiping the floor with Sasuke will be his first goal. Kakashi will be next. I have read a lot of fics where Naruto was uber powerful right off the bat. Sure, I like those kinds of fics, but I don't want to emulate those. This Naruto will start off from scratch; weaker than the canon Naruto from the Anime and Manga, the unholy stamina is still there, but that's all there is to the Naruto in this fic. If you keep reading i'm sure you'll understand what i'm saying a few chapters further.

I like each and every opinion a reader bestows on my fic, and I respect each and every one of them. Because I know that it's not easy for some people to hit the review button and post what's on their minds about what they read. If you misunderstood what you have read then I apologize if I mislead you. I assure you that Naruto will EARN all of what you'll be seeing him doing.

Thank you nonetheless for your unbiased and opinionated review. I hope my reply won't cause you to shy away from reading this fic. Please bear with me; like I said in my author's note on the 1st chapter, i'm still learning the ropes of fanfiction writing.

She.Who.Knows: I'll try to update regularly, really, I will TRY. Two stories in cliff hanger mode? I think I'd like to read them if I have any spare time. I guess reading stories is more of my passion than writing them. As fanfiction is directly tied to the Internet, somewhat. I'll try to not be that type of author. I hate stories with potential that don't get updated...

Meinos877: Wow! Meinos-san! I'm surprised that you're reading my fic! It's really an honor that someone who writes really good Naruto fanfiction is reading my fic. I'll try to keep your standards and update as often as I can. Yes, Naruto is on Gai's team. But the pairings are still up in the air, but if you're voting then I'll acknowledge your vote. Arigatou for reviewing! -bows- -

To: cartoonwatcher, Meca Vegeta, Kage, hells-fox, genbo, IceDragonLover, Honebar, donnaficfan, LordMyst, InfiniteFreedom, and Pite: Thank you for the reviews! I'll try to update regularly as soon as I can!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. If I did own Naruto though, I'd be rich and Naruto would be dating Hinata right now during the manga and the series. I wish I owned Hinata though. She's cute, both 12 year old and 15 year old versions of her.

Summary: .AU. Naruto balances Nin, Gen, and Tai jutsu with the kuro, aka, and aoi doujutsu, which he acquires after reading the forbidden scroll of seals after his second failed attempt at graduation.

A/N: I'm sorry if I took too long to write this chapter. The good news is I'm still writing this fic; the bad news is I had to reapply again for my broadband connection so the updates are going to be delayed, again. But fret not as I am still pouring my brains out to write this. I have other fics that I turn to if I get a mental and writer's block on this fic, so be assured that my brain cells are always occupied. I haven't used my brain for prolonged bouts of thinking, so this is a nice exercise tool.

Now, if any of you are wondering why Iruka isn't wounded, well let's just say Naruto got to Mizuki before the traitorous Chuunin had a chance to wound Iruka very seriously. The giant shuriken wound on the back is still there, but he wasn't peppered by kunai and shuriken. I don't know if I will include the chapter 2 reviewers on this chapter, so just hope for the best.

Chapter 3: of footnotes, the Savior, and the Dual Extreme.

Begin Chapter.

'Team nine' looked at each other, seeming to seek an answer from their comrade's eyes. Naruto then looked up at Gai. "Is there any difference if we choose to take the test tomorrow, or today?"

Gai nodded at Naruto's intelligent question. "There's a slight advantage to taking it tomorrow than today, Naruto-kun. If you choose to take it tomorrow, you will have gained a full night's rest, along with a clear mind and heart! Choosing to do it today just shortens the time to find out if you will pass my exam or not."

Naruto nodded and sat down, looking at Tenten, Lee, and lastly Neji. Naruto took a deep breath. "I say we put it to a vote. We also explain our vote as to why we want to take it today, or tomorrow." The other three nodded. Naruto grinned as he stood up.

"Well, I might as well be the first. I choose to take it tomorrow because I have some things to do today that just won't wait. The Hokage has ordered me to report to the Hokage tower later, I also have some things to do before the day ends, so I just can't really take it today." He motioned to Lee, who stood up as he sat down.

"Sensei! I think it is more advantageous for us to take the test tomorrow! This will let our burning passion be refueled to burn brighter by fully resting!" Lee then executed his first version of the nice guy pose, which Gai returned with equal fervor.

"Yosh! As expected of a student-to-be of mine! Your burning passion burns bright, Lee-kun!" Lee grinned as he sat down. Naruto noticed the sweat drops coming from his other teammates, but just chose to grin on their reactions. Tenten stood up, as it was her turn.

"I choose to take the exam today, I am confident in my skills to pass the exam, as I have an advantage that other genin do not have." She then nudged Neji, who in turn stood up.

"I don't care if I take the exam today or tomorrow. It is not in my fate to fail whatever exam you are planning. My destiny is to pass this exam and prove the main house that they chose to anger the wrong Hyuuga." After he sat down the whole balcony was silent. Naruto had a sweat drop and a vein on his head.

_"Arrogant bastard..." _

Tenten and Lee had a confused stare on the brooding Hyuuga, while Gai nodded thoughtfully at Neji's words. After the voting was done, Naruto spoke up.

"So that's 2 votes for taking it tomorrow, 1 vote to take it today, and 1 undecided. So we're going to take the exam tomorrow, Gai-sensei." Gai nodded at the team's decision.

"Well then! Meet me on training grounds nine, seven am in the morning, tomorrow! And don't bother to eat breakfast, because I cannot guarantee that it will stay in your passionate stomachs! Meeting dismissed!"

As soon as he said 'dismissed', Gai became a green blur again and zoomed out of the pagoda. The surprising thing was that he didn't fall on his descent. Naruto was impressed at his sensei for the second time that day.

"Hayai..."

Lee just nodded vigorously. "Yosh! That's Gai-sensei for you!"

Tenten produced a miniscule sweat drop on her head. "A little quirky, but very strong."

Neji was stoic as he crossed his arms. Byakugan activated as he followed his sensei-to-be's progress. _"Yes, he's very strong for a guy with no blood limit. It would be a nice change to grow under his tutelage, and have someone teach me instead of me teaching myself."_

"So..." Naruto then turned to his teammates as the green blur disappeared around a bend. "Anyone up for ramen?" Tenten blushed in embarrassment as her stomach growled.

"I am, how about you two, Lee? Neji?" Lee nodded once and turned a questioning glance to Neji, who shook his head.

"I have some training to do today, so I'll just see you tomorrow on the training grounds." The other three nodded in assent as the Hyuuga prodigy climbed down the stairs, after he was gone Naruto motioned for the two to follow him down.

"So, what are you going to do after ramen?" Naruto asked the two once they were back on solid ground. Tenten just shrugged.

"I guess a bit of training with my weapons and aim, then I'll go home. Say, how about I show you our family's weapons shop today?" Naruto shook his head as he looked at the sun. It was nearing ten am in the morning.

"Maybe after we pass Gai-sensei's exam tomorrow, Tenten-san. I really have a lot of sorting out to do today." The brunette nodded her assent and turned to Lee.

"What about you, Lee?" Lee contemplated for a bit. "I guess some light training after I eat. I don't want to exert myself before the exam, I also agree with Naruto-kun's suggestion with going to your family's weapon shop tomorrow, as well." Naruto and Tenten nodded as the blonde led the way to Ichiraku's.

On the way there some of the villagers 'did the usual' when Naruto passed by the more densely populated business and residential district. Lee and Tenten were wary of the villagers as they followed Naruto. Lee was about to ask about this when Naruto spoke up without looking back at them.

"I see you've noticed them, you'd have to be blind and deaf not to." Tenten and Lee nodded absently.

"Unfortunately, this happens to me everyday. You just have to get used to it. Eleven years of seeing this everyday will do it. I...have some secrets that you won't believe I have. If we do become a team and stick together for a year or more, I'll reveal my biggest secret to the team, even Neji. Just please, don't ask me now...I don't know how I'll do it." Hearing Naruto's pleading voice, the two nodded solemnly as they reached Ichiraku's. Naruto wiped his tears with his hankie as he smiled at the ramen chef, and his daughter.

"Oi! Teuchi-occhan! Ayame-neechan!" He shouted as he forced himself back in his brat mindset.

"Oi Naruto! We missed you here yesterday! What happened?" The ramen chef said in a half-scolding, half-chiding voice. Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I kind of got held up at the academy from the afternoon, 'til early morning yesterday." Teuchi formed a conspiratorial grin as he looked at his best costumer, seeing other kids behind him, he spoke.

"Oi Naruto! Did you bring me more customers?" Turning back on his teammates-to-be, he nodded.

"Yup! These are my teammates, Kirimai Tenten and Rock Lee. I have another teammate called Hyuuga Neji, but he's not here. We're going to take an exam tomorrow and pass as genins!" He said while pumping his fist, Tenten smiled as Lee emulated Gai and managed to make his teeth glint at Teuchi.

Tenten and Lee introduced themselves formally as they sat down on each side of Naruto. After giving their orders they talked about training, weapons, Gai-sensei, and how there's always a stoic bastard on each batch of academy students.

After finishing their bowls and paying, they bade farewell to Teuchi and Ayame, with Naruto promising to be back with Iruka later to have a ramen binge before going home. Ayame was smiling as she cleaned their bowls.

"It seems like Naruto-kun found some friends his own age, 'tousan." Teuchi nodded thoughtfully as he looked at their retreating backs. His glance on his favorite customer's back was unfathomably soft and filled with tenderness.

"Hai, I just hope that his teammates can accept him, when they find out what's inside him…" Ayame's smile disappeared; she then nodded solemnly as they prepared for the lunch crowd.

Bidding his teammates farewell, and good luck, Naruto turned and began to run to the direction of his tree house. Never noticing the worried stares Lee and Tenten gave his retreating back.

After running a bit through the village, Naruto noticed a group of oddly dressed monks in the village square, who were being questioned by ANBU. It seemed that the villagers were throwing the same hateful and cold glares he was used to having at the monks. Having seen this particular fact, it piqued his curiosity. It was then that he approached the monks who were unaware of his presence, as he used a nearby monument to hide.

"_I wonder which country they came from? From their attire I'd say their clothes were made for long journeys on foot, as well as for fighting hand to hand. Regular monks don't look like these monks at all."_

Indeed the monks he was spying on were defiantly different from the ones he frequently saw on the village and temples. Most of them were muscular, like they weren't praying or fasting. Some of the other monks had large muscles, which showed on their already moderately loose clothing. A white do-gi with elbow-level sleeves was the group's regular attire. Some wore a brown-colored leather cover on the front of their do-gi, while others had smaller versions of this.

All of them covered their heads with white cloth, the area around their eyes, particularly the eye sockets, were either painted black or brown. And all of their shins, ankles, and feet have thick woolen bandages wrapped around them. They also have them on their hands and arms, reaching just below the upper arms. Apparently he came at the right moment, for the monks were having a guarded and very quiet conversation amongst themselves.

"He hasn't gone far, he had to have taken up shelter in one of the temples here, with those injuries of his. He won't progress that far in a few nights." One medium built monk said, as he looked side to side frantically.

"If what he holds falls into the wrong hands, our way of living is done for, why did we have to take drastic actions like this, our cover with master will be blown!" Another one hissed, he was a little taller than most of the monks, but he was lean built.

"Shut up! Anyone can overhear us talking about 'him'. We are in more trouble if sensei hears this! He's the best student in our year, and if he finds out that some of us are missing, especially 'him', we won't survive the punishments! Lucky for us, master's away visiting our brother temple." The tallest and most muscular of them spoke, seeming to be the leader of the group.

After absorbing what he could out of the conversation, Naruto backed up and headed for his 'training ground' He can sort out this new information later. Right now he had to read the requirements of the blood ritual for the three doujutsu.

As he ran in the direction of his tree house, he heard a groan somewhere in the east side of the forest, tracing the voice he found that it was calling out for assistance. He arrived to see a man similarly dressed like the monks he encountered in the village square, lying face down. It seemed that he was full of wounds, both external and internal.

"...Help..." said the voice. Naruto then helped the man up, noticing his damaged form; Naruto formed Kage Bunshins and ordered one to Henge into a stretcher. Another clone helped him to ease the man into the stretcher. It looked like the man was within an inch of life. Naruto then ordered his clones to follow him, they then moved silently under the canopy of dense forest to the direction of Naruto's hideout.

Arriving quickly Naruto and his clones eased the man onto the makeshift bed of leaves, grass, and hay. He then searched his makeshift closet to find his medical kit, which he used whenever he was training in the forest. The man groaned and sat up, surprising Naruto with his resilience.

"Please...come closer...i'm already...dying..." said the man, who Naruto now realized as the man the other monks were searching for. Naruto wringed a clean wash cloth and cleaned the man's bloodied face.

"Your...name...?" Naruto spoke solemnly. "Uzumaki Naruto." The man smiled.

As the stranger drew his strength and organized what he was planning to say, Naruto drew some water from a makeshift water container, which was designed to catch and filter rain water. Filling a wooden mug, he handed it to the stranger, who drank it like a man who had walked in the desert for a long time. The stranger then nodded to him as he began to speak anew.

"Thank you...Naruto-san...few others would have done what you did for me..." At those words, Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"I...don't have a real name anymore, but in the temple, I was called 'Anje'..." Naruto nodded as he continued to clean Anje's battered and dying body.

"Our group was called the order of the depraved monks. Unlike real monks we have broken all of Buddha's sins...That is why people hate us and fear us. I was the last one of our order to join for a very long time. As I studied under the order, I have learned all of my master's secrets and techniques, as well as all of the order's ancient techniques and fighting styles, because he felt that I had the discipline and the mindset to not use it for wicked and evil purposes.

I then decided...to chronicle our knowledge into scrolls...so that even if we may fade away...there would be a memory of our group left behind, which proved that we existed even beyond the time of the demons and the war..."

Naruto then decided to give Anje one of his soldier pills, and a blood-stopping pill. Anje gave him a grateful sigh, as he felt energized again, staving off the call of death for a few more moments.

"Thank you...as I've said, I've chronicled our order's knowledge throughout the ages in scrolls, but most of it was burnt or stolen by my other brethren...I have a copy of all my scrolls though, so all is not lost...my master agreed of my actions and believed in my judgment, and so he encouraged me to write...but then my other brethren got jealous of my knowledge and closeness to our master...

One night when our master journeyed to visit our brother temple, they attacked me in an attempt to learn all of what our master had taught me…I managed to avoid a bloodbath by merely disabling the majority who were only bullied to fight me...but the plotters were too powerful combined….I managed to kill half of them, the other half barely got away with less serious injuries.

They threatened me that they will tell our master I had killed in cold blood once he returned, which was a blasphemy amongst us depraved monks...instead of giving them what they wanted, I ran away from the place I once called home. I only had the clothes on my back and the scroll of my most prized technique; the deadliest ever invented and recorded during our history...the dual extreme fighting style...

The plotters came after me for the sole purpose of acquiring the scroll. I killed half of them in battles from the mountains until the borders of fire country...I was dying when I came through your dense forests, and was prepared for death, when you found me. I am very grateful to you, because my greatest fear was to die alone. With no one to hear my confessions of guilt and share my sadness."

Anje then reached into his tattered do-gi and pulled out a small, but thick scroll. "This scroll contains the theory, forms, and usage of the dual extreme, as well as a small history on how I came up with the style.

This scroll also shows the location of the map where I hid all the scrolls that I wrote about the order, as well as it's secrets, and the various weapon and fighting styles.

I ask that you keep the contents of this scroll to yourself...please, promise me...that you will only reveal the secrets of my fighting style to your offspring..." At those words Naruto clutched Anje's hand with both hands.

"I promise you, Anje...That you have my oath of silence as a man and a ninja of Konoha, that your fighting style, which you have worked so hard to develop and perfect your whole life...will stay secret outside of the Uzumaki Clan." Anje nodded and closed his eyes, the blonde ninja barely hearing his last words. "Thank you, Naruto…Master, brothers…farewell…"

Naruto then felt a burning sensation in his palms. As Anje's hand relaxed he removed his bandages and saw...that on the back of his hand, the kanji for 'futae no kiwami' was on both his hands, before fading away completely.

_"That was the last portion of his life energy, which means...he's dead."_

Naruto sent a small prayer to Anje's 'Buddha' to watch over his faithful servant, as he journeyed to where souls go after the connection with their mortal body was severed. He then busied about to clean Anje's body for the funeral pyre. Naruto then used another batch of clones to move Anje's body and the bed further into the dense forest.

Gathering wood for the funeral pyre was time consuming. Even more so when he made it so that the funeral pyre would burn slowly as to not alert anyone, ninja or villager, to smoke coming out of the forest.

Starting the pyre with an academy level katon jutsu, he watched as Anje's body was consumed in smoke and fire, the body wrapped in clean bandages under his mended do-gi. Naruto added a prayer scroll, which Anje clutched in his hands.

Adjusting the fire so that the least amount of smoke would be made, Naruto turned around to go back to the village, deciding to read the scroll tonight instead of today.

As he made his way back to the village he passed by the academy, it seems lunchtime had passed during the time when he found Anje. Stepping inside for a moment he managed to find Kiba and Akamaru. The duo then managed to cover the blonde's mouth before he shouted a greeting.

"Not here loudmouth...let's talk outside the gate." Kiba hissed. Naruto nodded and walked out of the academy gate with the partners to a secluded bench. Kiba then narrated Sasuke's and his fan club's misfortunes today. Most of all Ino and Sakura's sadness when Sasuke started avoiding them.

Naruto held his sides in laughter as Kiba told him how Sasuke stumbled through the morning with a freakish amount of bad luck, almost getting hit in his privates by a sharp kunai. Stepping on dog shit -which Kiba denied to Sasuke that it was akamaru's-, getting hit on the forehead by a blunt shuriken, thrice. Lying down on a mid-activated explosion note, which also triggered a chuunin level Genjutsu trap, leaving him shirtless and unable to move for fifteen minutes.

While the senseis in the academy searched for the person who set the trap, -in which they found out it was Mizuki-, his fan club capitalized on this and eerily produced cameras, sketchbooks, and drawing pads to capture their idol's 'physique' forever in film and on paper, as though they were waiting for this moment for a very, very, very, long time.

Chalk erasers and blunt wooden kunai were also hitting the Uchiha avenger, at an hourly basis. As well as the rest of the class avoiding him like a plague.

"I dragged you outside because ice-prince seems to be close to blowing his top. Along with losing his 'oh i'm so mighty, you are dirt under my fingernails' stoic face. His fan club is convinced you're playing pranks on HIM AND THEM. A word of advice: do not go in there, at least for today."

Naruto nodded as he grinned at Kiba and Akamaru, pulling out two coupons for Ichiraku he handed them to Kiba and patted Akamaru, who barked in return. Waving goodbye and saying 'thanks' to his friends he sought out the sun overhead. Deciding that there was no time to dawdle, he ran for the Hokage tower at his top speed.

Iruka organized his lesson plan on his desk and stood up. The 'segregated' class followed his movement with rapt attention. The chuunin-sensei then spoke up. "I have an appointment with the Hokage today, so I will turn over my teaching duties for the rest of the day to your other senseis, the girls will have an early session with Suzume-sensei today, while the boys will be supervised on practical weapons use with Isamu-sensei. Good day to you all and see you tomorrow."

Some of the students groaned their protest, while some of them said farewell to Iruka as they left the classroom. Having briefed his replacements during lunch, he left for his office desk to gather his gear.

As the class separated in two, the four boys gave Hinata a nod before she followed the other girls to Suzume-sensei's homeroom. Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Shino joked about the Uchiha avenger's misfortunes as they fell back behind their other classmates. Kiba then mentioned Naruto's visit during the after-lunch break. Shikamaru then asked the dog-using academy student about the details of Naruto's team. Kiba then shrugged sheepishly.

"I forgot to ask him, ok? I was busy dragging the loudmouth out of the grounds before Sasuke and his fan girls could get to him." Shikamaru snorted and spoke.

"Troublesome, at least you should have found out his sensei's name." Shino nodded under his collar.

"It would have been prudent to ask him about his team's names, or his sensei's name. That way we can probably ask around on our free time for their identities and abilities." Kiba grinned at his usually quiet friend's words.

"Trying to scope out the competition already, Shino?" The bug-using academy student shook his head.

"Not exactly Kiba, knowledge about an enemy's and/or an ally's abilities is half the key to winning a battle. As ninjas, we should exploit every advantage we can have, even if it is over enemies or allies." Kiba laughed at his classmate.

"Are you kidding me Shino? That loudmouth doesn't have the brains and the brawn to be level with us, let alone surpass us." Kiba's laughter followed him as he walked faster to the academy's training grounds.

Shikamaru gave Kiba an irritated look as he followed the Inuzuka from behind. Chouji was behind them as he munched his chips; the large academy student was also frowning. Shino stayed silent after Kiba's statement, the bug user thinking of Naruto's exploits inside the academy.

"_Well then Kiba, don't be surprised when Naruto surpasses you. Like I said earlier in the morning. He will surprise us next year. I just hope that you can swallow your over-inflated ego if you get your butt kicked."_

Naruto made it into the tower with fifteen minutes to spare. Some of the people who knew what he was turned and glared at him, while some muttered curses to his name, half of them just ignored him with cold shoulders. Naruto, for the first time in his life, threw glares back at the people who gave them. Surprising a few of them.

"_Be glad this is the Hokage's tower and that I respect the old man, or I would have pranked all of you who hate me."_ Naruto thought as he walked over to the Hokage's secretary's desk.

Naruto now noticed that the Hokage had a new secretary. _"Hokage-jisan must have hired a replacement again. I hope I'll make a good first impression."_ He thought in his head and prayed that the bad comments about him hadn't had a chance to trickle down to this one.

The Secretary, although just newly-hired, knew what Naruto was. But she had decided long ago to keep neutral on her opinions about the blonde boy. She was confident in her good judgment of other people's character, and the rude comments and the slandered remarks about him didn't sway her decision, to form her own opinion about the 'Demon of Konoha'.

"The Hokage will entertain you in about twelve minutes, Umino-san isn't here yet as well, so I will have to ask you to wait for him before you both go in." The secretary spoke in a business-like voice.

Naruto had learned to pay attention to the voices of people since he was two. He has learned to differentiate the different tones people use when they are engaged in conversation. He found out the differences when people spoke out to other people and to him. His voice interpretation was so extensive that he knew when people were lying, or trying to cover something wrong that they have done. After interpreting the secretary's voice as neutral, he smiled a half-smile as he spoke in an even tone with the secretary.

"Ano…since Iruka-sensei isn't here yet, can I look around for a bit?" The secretary gave him a contemplating look, and then nodded. "Where do you want to go?" Naruto pondered for a bit, then answered.

"I'd like to take a look at where the Jounins hang out." The secretary paused for a second, and then gave him directions. "Left corridor from here, five doors to the right. The Chuunin's assignment room is on the fourth door. The Chuunin lounge is the door opposite the Jounin lounge." Naruto brightened up and bowed.

"Arigatou! Ano…" the blonde fox racked his brain for the secretary's name, which she didn't give yet. "Izumu-san, Uzumaki-san, Izumu Mayuri desu." The secretary reached out her hand. Naruto gave her his best foxy grin as he shook her hand.

"Arigatou, Mayuri-san! Orewa Uzumaki Naruto desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!" The secretary's heart melted as she saw her boyish grin. "Uhn! Yoroshiku, Uzumaki-san." Mayuri giggled at the blonde's cute face. Eventually they both laughed as the people around them looked at the pair. Meanwhile the Hokage chuckled as he smoked his pipe. Recognizing Naruto's rare, heard of laugh. He then made a mental note to himself to give Izumu Mayuri an early raise next month.

Umino Iruka entered the tower and greeted the familiar faces there. Even though he was only a chuunin-sensei, he was a frequent visitor to the tower. The most recent visits have been about Naruto's addition to the graduation roster, Mizuki's betrayal, and how he tricked Naruto to steal the scroll of seals. The second to the last time he was there was when Naruto painted the Hokage monument for the twelfth, and hopefully last, time.

Naruto then led the combined three quarters of the village's Chuunin and Jounin to a wild goose chase, which lasted from early morning 'til late afternoon. By the time Naruto was caught almost all of them had to go to the hospital for stamina depletion. The Hokage berated the ninjas in the hospital, chuckling as he joked that they've been slacking off on their training. And wondered out loud how an academy student outlasted most of them in a simple chase.

Iruka heard a familiar, yet hardly heard laugh as he entered the inner doors where the Hokage's office is situated. As he walked closer he looked at the Hokage's new secretary and his blonde student slash hellion, laughing with her. The reaction of this secretary was new to him, as the previous secretaries treated Naruto with hatred and contempt. _I'll put in a good word for her with the Hokage, this secretary seems to be a good judge of character, and her interaction with Naruto proves it."_ Iruka broke his mental musings as he approached the secretary's desk and introduced himself.

Naruto kept quiet as his sensei and Mayuri made small talk after they introduced themselves to each other. After a few minutes the intercom buzzed and The Third Hokage's voice sounded through. "Izumu-san, have my guests arrived yet?" The secretary pushed the intercom button and spoke back. "Yes Hokage-sama, Umino-san and Uzumaki-san have arrived." The intercom buzzed again. "Very well, send them in." The device then turned off as Mayuri removed her finger from the button.

"The Sandaime Hokage-sama will see you now, good day, Naruto-kun, Iruka-san." Mayuri nodded to them. Naruto then gave her a small bow. "Hai! Arigatou, Mayuri-san!" Iruka smiled and nodded to her. Mayuri then got back to work as the two opened the door to the Hokage's office.

As they entered the Third's office, they were surprised that the usual mess of scrolls and papers the Hokage had to sign and study were now organized in very manageable stacks on another table. Organized from the most important to sign, study, or to look up, as by the Hokage's standards. Iruka and Naruto whistled.

"Sweet, Hokage-jisan's office really looks like an office now!" Naruto exclaimed. Iruka just sighed. "Naruto…how many times have I told you to show some respect to Hokage-sama?" Naruto grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "Lost count."

Sandaime chuckled as he got out from his private room, effectively breaking their tirade. "Just forget it Iruka-kun, Naruto-kun, in just saying 'Hokage-jisan' is proof of his acknowledgement and respect for me, as the Hokage." Naruto nodded vigorously at the statement.

"Hai! And the reason I call him 'jisan' is…because…well…" Naruto hung his head as he spoke in a barely-heard whisper. "I don't have a grandfather of my own…" Both of them heard his statement, Sarutobi nodded solemnly as he hugged Naruto. The blonde accepted the embrace as the Hokage patted his back. Iruka recalled how the Hokage gave him the same comfort when he was about the same age.

As Naruto calmed down, the Hokage smiled at him. "Well Naruto-kun, how does that hitai-ate feel on your head?" The blonde ninja grinned. "It feels good! I'll take care of this hitai-ate very well, because Iruka-sensei himself gave this to me." Naruto and Iruka's smile was truthful as student and sensei both recalled their happiness of Naruto's graduation. The Hokage smiled as well.

"Well then, there is a reason that both of you have been told to report here. Now, if you would please follow me…" The Third then motioned to the door of his private quarters. Naruto and Iruka both nodded as they followed the Hokage to his makeshift bedroom, in which he sleeps in when he has to rise very early in the morning, or to retire when it was very late in the night.

As they entered the Hokage's private bedroom, Naruto saw that the scroll of seals, which he stole yesterday, was opened all the way where the Hokages' letter to the Savior of Konoha was located. Iruka looked puzzled as he approached the note of the Hokages, and the dated footnote under it, which was dated just yesterday. Iruka looked at the Hokage with a puzzled face.

"What is this letter and footnote doing here, Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi blew on his pipe "The Hokages' letter to 'the Savior of Konoha' has been read. As for the footnote and the date, I believe Naruto-kun can explain what it is. Iruka-kun..." They then both looked pointedly at Naruto. Who gulped loudly as the afternoon sun settled on Konohagakure

_"I am SO screwed..."_

Meanwhile, at the academy's meadow, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino were hanging around under a shade of a tree. The kunoichi lessons Suzume-sensei gave were always short and concise, the female Chuunin focusing more on the practical use of the instructions she gave for the day, after the lesson Suzume gave the girls a few minutes of free time to discuss what they have learned, before dismissing the class for the day. The rivals for Sasuke's heart were discussing what they learned from their sensei when lunch break was announced.

Flashback no jutsu!

As Iruka walked out of the classroom for lunch, he was cut short by two of his top students, who were calling out to him.

"What is it, Sakura, Ino?" Iruka spoke with a hint of exasperation in his voice. Iruka hasn't had breakfast yet, so he was very hungry. His stomach betrayed him at that exact moment, growling loudly as he blushed in embarrassment. Ino decided to take the lead in the conversation, seeing that Sakura was taken aback by Iruka's uncharacteristic tone of voice.

"Ne, sensei…we'd like to know if what 'that Naruto' said this morning was true, we saw him sporting a hitai-ate on his forehead today. Me, forehead-girl, and Sasuke-kun didn't believe him because he's always making jokes and pranks and causing mischief. And now, we haven't seen him today after he showed up this morning.

So…did he really graduate early? Is that hitai-ate on his forehead really his? And why did you let him graduate earlier than us, and not Sasuke-kun?"

Iruka nodded as he listened to Ino's questions. Keeping a face of neutrality, he proceeded to answer them one by one.

"Yes Ino, Sakura. Naruto and I decided that he had all the necessary skills to graduate earlier than all of you. Yes, the rule about early graduation is true. It is just kept from regular students because you need the permission of both of your parents and your sensei to attempt to graduate early. Graduating early sometimes stunts the student's growth as a ninja. If they are not careful, they even may die during missions. That is why it is up to the sensei, if the candidate for graduation is an orphan, to judge whether the student is ready to graduate or not, and if he has the necessary skills to do so.

Early graduation has always been on the academy rules and regulations. It just isn't mentioned anymore on the official pamphlet the academy distributes to the parents of the students. The regular graduation age was adjusted so that clan prodigies, like Hyuuga Neji, a year your senior, and geniuses, like Sasuke, will be kept on the same level as regular academy students. There is of course, a reason for this adjustment.

The most famous early graduates of the ninja academy were Hatake Kakashi, who is now an elite Jounin of the leaf…and Uchiha Itachi, one of our village's most famous missing nin, an S-rank missing nin. Of the two names I mentioned, the latter's early graduation had a bad repercussion on the academy. So the graduation age for academy students has been decided to be at age 12, and not a year earlier than that. And oh, the hitai-ate that you saw on Naruto came from me. I gave him my own hitai-ate, as the location we were in had no other ones nearby. This is a new one I am wearing right now." Iruka pointed on the forehead protector on his head.

"Now, if there are no more questions, I'd like to get my lunch. So if you'd excuse me…" The two girls nodded as they stepped aside. Their expressions were of slack-jawed disbelief, including Inner Sakura, who was speechless. Iruka chuckled at the expressions on his students' faces. He sensed another chakra signature spiking up, so he figured that Sasuke was listening in on the whole conversation.

"_Well, I hope the fact that Naruto managed to graduate early will take them down a peg or two. Sure, I love my students like my children, but their treatment of Naruto isn't right. Parents have the right to play favorites to their children as well."_

Unfortunately for Iruka, his top three students will never hear his musings.

Flashback no jutsu, kai!

The two rivals, usually shouting or insulting each other, looked the other in the eyes. Sakura managed to find her voice. "So, it was true…'That Naruto' really did graduate early." Ino nodded solemnly as she looked down on the grass.

"Yeah, I can't believe that the dead last of our class managed to graduate first. It's so…so…" "Surreal?" The pink-haired girl piped up. The two kunoichi-in-training sighed, both shaking their heads.

"Bah! He probably won't make a good ninja for long. He's probably going to die in one of his missions anyway." The girl with the big forehead shrugged the fact of Naruto's graduation very quickly. Her blonde rival nodded.

"Right! He'll never be as strong as our Sasuke-kun, right big-forehead?" Ino countered as she insulted her rival for the dark-haired avenger's 'affections'. The moment Ino's voice released the insult, was when the argument started. The rest of Sasuke's fan girls tuning out their voices while Hinata sat a little distance away from them. Daydreaming about her blonde crush.

That's when the author's mean streak struck again. Suddenly, two nests of abandoned, rotting, and maggot filled eggs dropped down on the two. Caught unawares, they were drenched from head to toe in curdled, maggot filled egg yolk, as well as dried out grass and twigs and bark, let's not of course forget the eggshells.

The final straw was when they smelled each other. Their lunch rising from the pits of their stomachs and hurled at the other's face and body. If there was a more embarrassing situation than being tarred and feathered, this was it.

Hinata couldn't help but sink to the ground in soft, barely heard laughter, she hasn't laughed this good in…never! This event was hidden well from the rest of the fan girls of Sasuke, as they were too busy laughing at their president and vice-president. Voicing out their anger, the pair shouted.

**DAMN YOU NARUTO!**

Meanwhile on the practical weapons use training grounds at the academy, the dark-haired avenger was taking out his anger on the shuriken target assigned to him. The fact that Naruto managed to graduate before him both surprised and infuriated him. He recalled his sensei's words when he confronted him after Iruka had his lunch.

Flashback no Jutsu!

Iruka smiled down at him, and then sighed. "Sasuke, I'm sure you heard my explanation to both Sakura and Ino, so I don't have to repeat myself to you, do I? And if you're going to demand an early graduation yourself, then I'm sorry to say that the window of opportunity ended yesterday. And as your sensei, I can not give you permission to graduate early, I have also explained why earlier." Iruka smiled as he left the Uchiha Avenger tm to his thoughts.

Flashback no Jutsu, kai!

The author was too lazy to look into the angst-ridden mind of one Uchiha Sasuke, who he had described aptly enough in chapter 2. Let's just say that it was about Naruto, his parents, his clan, his brother, restoring the clan, and his revenge. Lame. But he'll indulge the Sasuke fans out there with another look-see.

As he emptied his shuriken holster, Sasuke's thoughts turned to Iruka's lecture about early graduation. The fact that geniuses and prodigies were held back to the same level as regular, no-talent students incensed his prideful mindset. While dead lasts like Naruto were permitted to graduate early.

Add to that the fact that Iruka mentioned his brother as an S-Class missing-nin, the highest rank hidden villages give to missing-nins, and he was throwing his angst aura enough for the males in his fan club to avoid him, as well as the rest of the male class. Isamu-sensei left the class to their own training, to discuss something with Suzume-sensei. Figuring that with Naruto not around anymore, nothing would go wrong. Hmmn…do ninjas believe in Murphy's Law?

Oh, how wrong Isamu-sensei was…

"_That DOBE! How did he manage to graduate before me! HOW? Damn it! If I couldn't even beat the dobe in a mere graduation test, then how can I kill my brother? The Uchiha clan must be avenged, and then restored in its former glory! Otherwise my parents' and my clan's spirits will haunt me, begging me to avenge their deaths…_

_I WILL surpass that dobe! One year won't make a difference for me or for him! He'll always be the dobe! The dead last! The idiot! He'll see when I surpass him again! Heh! He'll never be as good as a ninja as I am! But that bastard Itachi is an S-Class missing Nin. I've heard that it's the highest rank given to Nins who turned traitor to their village… But I'll surpass my brother as well! After I kill him and avenge the clan, I'll find a girl, particularly a girl with a bloodline limit ability, and then I'll restore the clan to it's former glory!"_

Now you see why the author doesn't even bother writing Sasuke's monologue?

As he threw shuriken after shuriken on his target, he didn't notice that one bounced off to one of the traps a Jounin placed in one of the trees. Hatake Kakashi, in his drunken state, had made explosion traps on a tree half-assed, and promptly forgot to disable them in the morning, along with his hangover. There was no way to trigger the strategically placed logs filled with a dozen half-activated explosion notes hidden with a powerful Genjutsu the regular way, unless you bounced off a strategically thrown shuriken to them, or in this case, an angst-ridden throw to…

…Uh oh…

Assuke's…err, Sasuke's eyes widened as two-dozen logs, filled with a dozen explosion tags each, converged on his position. Meanwhile the rest of the male academy students managed to get away from the Uchiha's immediate area. Four eyes…ok, three eyes, one was covered by sunglasses…in the back of the crowd widened in amusement at the Uchiha's latest ongoing misfortune.

Oh, how revenge is sweet…

Sasuke shouted a curse directed at his 'rival', as explosions rocked the academy training grounds.

"**NARUTOOOOOOOOOO!"**

Want to know what happened to our brooding bishounen? I'll get back to him later, I think…

Once again Naruto pulled out his hankie just in time to cover two, very loud, sneezes. Wiping his nose clean, he grinned at the two men before him. "Looks like someone's been talking about me, I've been sneezing all day." Iruka and The third grinned with him. The tension in the room having been diminished, Naruto sighed and walked over to the scroll. Touching it fondly.

"My life was changed yesterday, because of this scroll. Hokage-sama, Iruka-sensei." At Naruto's serious voice, the Hokage and Iruka's eyes visibly widened. "What happened Naruto-kun?" The third inquired at the boy. Naruto smiled wistfully.

"I met them, Hokage-sama…Three of the four faces on the monument there on the mountain, I have met them…and the day before yesterday I have only known their faces and read about their strength and bravery on the academy books…I have met your younger self as well. I can truthfully say that you were the wisest and the most knowledgeable Hokage among the four." Seeking Naruto's eyes for a hint of mischief, the two men found none of it on the boy, no, the adult before them.

Iruka thought he was seeing and hearing things, but here was Naruto, speaking like a mature ninja of the leaf. "Who did you meet Naruto?" Naruto smiled as he grasped the scroll. "Shodaime-sama, Nidaime-sama, Sandaime-sama, and Yondaime Hokage-sama, the four generations of Fire Shadows of Konohagakure no Sato."

Naruto then revealed the events of the night to the two men, he did not leave out a single detail, because these two men were among the first to acknowledge him and his potential. As such he will never keep secrets from the two. He finished the tale with learning Kage Bunshin and confronting Mizuki.

Kneeling on one knee, Naruto bowed low and spoke in a very serious voice. "Sandaime Hokage-sama, I am Uzumaki Naruto, proclaimed by your predecessors and successor as 'the Savior of Konoha' I alone have the power to save this village, and the known Shinobi world, from imminent destruction to both known, and unknown enemies, as foretold by the prophecy of the ancestor of the Yamanakas, to the Shodaime Hokage-sama. I answer to no one but the Hokage, my loyalty is also bound to the Hokage and it's mantle of power. I pledge my life to the continued survival of Konoha, and it's people." Sandaime nodded solemnly. "Rise, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto complied and approached the Hokage. Sarutobi furrowed his brows in thought.

"Now Naruto…can you give me proof that what you are saying is true? Do not worry, I believe everything that you have told me, but the council will dispute your claims as the savior." Naruto nodded in understanding. "Can you please wait a minute or two, Hokage-sama?" The third nodded as Naruto sat near the scroll of seals, unwrapping his bandages and shedding his vest and shirt off, he revealed the black kanji the Hokages left on his upper arms. Pressing on both San and Yon, he proceeded to contact the Third and the Fourth Hokages' imprints.

"_Sandaime-sama, Yondaime-sama, I need proof for Hokage-jisan and Iruka-sensei, or I'm afraid they won't believe me" The Hokages being contacted nodded mentally. The young voice of Sandaime's imprint spoke wisely. _

"**We understand, Naruto-kun. Perform a Kuchiyose no Jutsu like I instructed you to do, Include Shodaime-sama and Nidaime-sama as well."** Naruto nodded as he opened his eyes and bit his thumb, drawing a strip of blood vertically on the four kanji. After doing the hand seals, Naruto put his palm on the floor. "Modified Summoning: Hokage Imprints!"

The Third Hokage and Iruka watched as four separate clouds of smoke materialized on Naruto's sides. Revealing the Hokages' imprints. Iruka's eyes widened. "K-k-kami-sama!" was his last expression before he fainted. Naruto immediately caught him as he fell using a Kage Bunshin's help, settling him down on the Hokage's bed. Nidaime looked at the situation.

"**_Use the tori seal, Naruto. A small squirt of water will suffice to wake him up."_** Naruto nodded and formed the tori seal, voicing out the minor water jutsu.

"Suiton: Mizudan no jutsu" At those words a very small water ball formed and dropped on Iruka's face. The Shinobi Gakuen sensei woke up sputtering.

"Wha? Is it morning already?" As he rubbed his eyes he heard six voices laughing at his expense. This time his surprise at seeing the four Hokages of Konoha, in their prime nonetheless, was somewhat lessened a bit. Luckily Yondaime had the presence of mind of sound proofing the room with a jutsu when he materialized earlier. Iruka scrambled to jump down the bed and bowed down low to the Hokages.

"Shodaime-sama, Nidaime-sama, Yondaime-sama. It is a great pleasure to meet all of you. I am Umino Iruka, a chuunin sensei of the Ninja Academy." After the greetings, the younger imprint of Sandaime seemed put out.

"**Oi! What about me, Iruka-kun?"** Hearing the imprint of the third, Iruka apologized profusely for ignoring him. The Fourth, Second, and First countered that he didn't count on Iruka's greetings. As he was the only Hokage of the four of them with a living counterpart of himself. The laughs seemed to dissipate everyone's nervousness.

After the mood got serious again, the Shodaime and Nidaime took their leave. **_"If you need us Saru, contact Naruto, as we'll be giving him advice and training sometimes."_** Shodaime waved farewell as he disappeared in ninja smoke. Nidaime nodded as he followed his brother's lead.

Yondaime approached his predecessor and handed Sandaime a copy of his will. **_"This will ensure Naruto's ascension as the rightful heir to my techniques and assets, as well as the title of Uzumaki and Kazama clan head. Naruto also has a copy of this. Oh, and if it isn't a bother, can you please update the info about the four of us and any other relevant info for us and about us on the scroll of seals?"_** Sarutobi nodded in compliance as his predecessor's form vanished. Imprint Sandaime approached his older self, cheeks pink in embarrassment.

"**So…are you really a pervert like Naruto-kun said?"** The real Sandaime's cheeks turned red, and just nodded. His imprint self just nodded as well when Sarutobi brought out his copy of Icha Icha paradise, volume 4. **"Jiraiya huh? Would you input that info, and the book's contents on the scroll as well?"** Sarutobi just nodded. Naruto sighed at the exchange.

"_I hope I don't turn into a pervert when I grow older myself, I'm starting to hate perverts more and more."_ he mused in his head, as the two Sandaime whispered conspiratorially.

Beside him, Iruka had the same look of indignation. While it is true that Iruka was defeated by Naruto's Oiroke no jutsu, he is not perverted even in the slightest way. He was just prone to the occasional dirty thought. Hey, cut him some slack, he is after all, a guy.

Imprint Sandaime produced a copy of the scroll that allowed Naruto Kage-level access to any information that he would label as useful to him. He then narrowed his eyes at his older self.

"**After the council reads this scroll, Naruto's training, data, and other info about him will be for the Hokage's eyes only, which means he'll be an S-Rank secret. The council of elders will no longer have jurisdiction on him. All data on him will be classified data. Although his official rank may be genin, he will answer to you, and to you only, so his unofficial rank now is 'candidate for Sannin'. Since you're the current Hokage, you are 'it'. Being 'it' means his protection and training will be up to your decisions. Do not stunt or hold back his growth and training, or it will mean dire consequences for all of us. Agreed?"** Hearing the dead seriousness of his imprint self, Sandaime nodded.

"**Did he mention the forbidden bloodline?"** his imprint self inquired. Sandaime nodded in confirmation.

"According to him, there's a bloodline ritual involved." The imprint of The Third Hokage nodded his affirmation at his living self's statement.

"**Assign Naruto to the genin reserve list if he doesn't pass his Jounin sensei's survival exam. If he does pass his exam, give the team a week of break from missions and/or team meetings. Naruto-kun will need that week to understand the rituals and procedures for the awakening of the bloodline. Explain that Naruto will undergo some extra training before he joins the team officially, if the Jounin insists to start missions." **Sandaime nodded his agreement at his imprint's suggestion. Imprint Sandaime then slowly vanished.

"**I'll be waiting for that Icha update, Saru-kun!"**

Naruto then shook his head. Muttering "Perverts…" under his breath. The two men couldn't dispute Naruto's comment, as they both had fallen victim to the blonde's 'anti-pervert technique'. Which made the Konoha General Hospital stock up on blood replenishing pills for both civilian and Shinobi use.

The Hokage then brought out a scroll. "Well, the council certainly won't be happy about this. That's why what we have discussed here will never leave this room. Do you agree?" Naruto and Iruka nodded their assent. Rolling out the scroll, Sandaime signed his name in blood, and the scroll glowed. "This is a scroll for blood oaths, breaking your oath on this scroll will result in a very, very painful death for you. After hearing this, would you still sign the scroll?" Iruka nodded and signed his name in blood. The scroll glowed brighter.

"If this means that Naruto will be protected from the council's clutches, then let it be so."

Naruto brightened at his sensei's comment. Stepping up, he signed the scroll in blood. The scroll emitted a powerful light, which then disappeared completely.

"For the future of Konoha and my precious people, the conversations and the events that happened inside this room will never be uttered by my lips. On penalty of death, I swear this." Sandaime and Iruka nodded appreciatively at Naruto's maturity.

"_Naruto's growing up"_

The Hokage and the Chuunin sensei thought in unison, the latter's eyes burning with an unshed tear. Naruto then proceeded to rewrap the bandages on his arms and put his shirt and vest back on his body.

Sandaime opened his door and walked out of the room, closely followed by Iruka and Naruto. The three smiled conspiratorially to each other, and grinned. "I'll tell you what the council's decision will be on this, for now just carry on your normal duties, expect me to call on you two again after two weeks." Iruka sensei bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama. We will do what you expect of us." Naruto followed his sensei's example and bowed, but only to that extent.

"Hai, Hokage-jisan. Just send us a message if you need us to report." Iruka just looked pointedly at his student as the Hokage laughed. "This ends our meeting, you two. Now be off to your own business. And remember, our secret is S-ranked." Sensei and student nodded at their leader, bowing as they bid the Hokage farewell. As they left Sarutobi grinned his own foxy grin.

"_The council will be pissed when I tell them that the 'Demon' will be out of their control. But I wonder what their reaction will be when I tell them that their 'Demon' was destined to save their lives?"_ The third generation fire shadow mused as he smoked his pipe. Planning on how to break the news to Konoha's council of elders like a bombshell. The Hokage maybe old, but he loved Naruto's pranks. And decided it was high time he tried one of his own, he also had a mean streak or two, old age be damned.

Finally, the academy ended for the day. The whole student body was talking animatedly, instead of usually complaining at the end of the day. The rumors flying around the female academy students were about the unusual bad luck of the president and the vice president of 'The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club of Konoha'.

The latest gossip was that two nests full of rotten eggs had fallen on the two fan girls, which of course were Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. They were now so stinky that a skunk, an animal rarely seen in fire country, actually had the nerve to wrinkle his nose at them, and proceeded to stink them more in retaliation. The rumors on the grapevine said that if you came close to either one of them within a five-meter radius, you'd actually faint.

The male part of the academy's student body, the ones who bothered to gossip, told the others the recent misfortune of one Uchiha Sasuke. At the class of practical weapons use, an errant shuriken thrown by the dark-haired avenger eerily disrupted a powerful Jounin level Genjutsu on a tree where the Uchiha's target was placed in, said errant shuriken triggered the half-assed explosion trap, which released two dozen logs filled with a dozen explosion tags each on the Uchiha.

As the logs homed in on their target, two of logs bumped each other, making the notes on said logs to go 'Boom', which caused a chain reaction of explosions. Sasuke had barely managed to pull multiple Kawarimi out of his ass. And by the time twenty-three logs were destroyed, he was out of Chakra. The last log bumped his rear, hard. That was the moment when the log's rope snapped in two, which sent him flying out of the boy's training ground into the girl's meadow, where Suzume-sensei taught her kunoichi classes.

While in the air, Sasuke was blaming his misfortune on the academy's resident prankster. That's when the explosion tags on the last log exploded in unison, the notes somehow eerily avoided Sasuke's prized jewels, his precious hair, and his face. But by the time he landed in the girl's meadow, he was in his birthday suit, literally. He proceeded to run away from his fan club, butt naked.

The fan girls got rabid and pulled out cameras, still cameras, still film cameras, film cameras and still digital cameras, one fan girl mysteriously pulled out a large, digital video camera from her small bag. Catching Sasuke's form 'en naturale' in the woods came only once in a blue moon. And the fan girls who missed 'the shirtless Sasuke episode' capitalized on the present opportunity. The gossips said that Sasuke was still hiding on the academy training grounds. But unfortunately, his fan girls were on the prowl for a glimpse of 'Nekkid Sasuke tm'

Meanwhile, the male class of Naruto's batch, the ones who didn't care about Sasuke and was not part of the male division of his fan club, were talking amongst themselves. They were at the center of it all. They saw Sakura and Ino's 'stinking personalities' They were there when Sasuke got hit by the log which sent him flying, and when they heard him cursing Naruto's name. They also produced cameras and were the first to picture Sasuke in his naked, angst-ridden glory. While he was still in the air no less, while the fan girls only got ground shots.

The black market will be filled tomorrow with Uchiha Sasuke's 'spy shots' as fan girls, got ready with their money.

Needless to say they were all laughing their stomachs off as they left the academy. Pumping their fists upward at the red sun, they saluted their resident prankster, now a graduate, in thanks. The ones leading the cheering were unsurprisingly, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Shino. Hinata and Shino were cheering for Naruto in their minds of course.

Even though he wasn't there to witness what they have witnessed, and even though he wasn't the one responsible for the misfortunes of the most irritating and annoying of their classmates, they honored him with one final hurrah.

**TO NARUTO! WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU! GOOD LUCK OUT THERE! AND WE THANK YOU FOR TODAY'S MEMORIES! HURRAH FOR NARUTO! OUR RESIDENT PRANKSTER! MAY KAMI SPEED YOUR CAREER!**

Meanwhile, far away from the group, a red and violet blur high-tailed it out of the academy. Leaving bodies in their wake. Fainted bodies, that is.

On the other side of the academy, a butt-naked, bishounen avenger hid in the woods. As his fan club patrolled the area en force.

For the three of them, their day hasn't ended yet.

End Chapter

A/N2: End draft April 1, 2006 6:01 PM. Re-Edited April 10, 2006, 2:21 PM

A/N3: Whew! After typing this chapter, I'm exhausted. I missed three days of work, wah! I hope you like this chapter guys. I've read some of the fics that other authors have written, and I see that my character speeches and the narration really needed the work. So I have edited chapter 1 and 2, and worked double hard on chapter 3 to make it consistent. I'd also like to hear your opinions about my new formatting and my grammar usage.

Feel free to voice out your opinions. Like I've said somewhere on this fic, I appreciate each and every input you give to my fic, whether it is positive or not. For now, here's a little sneak peak of the three doujutsu's abilities, as well as the preview of the bloodline ritual arc, which was meant to be on this chapter, instead of chapter 3, Gomenasai Minna-san! I'll also answer chapter 2 and 3 reviews whenever I can manage to fit it in. So please click that review button, I'd love to hear your opinions.

As for the Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura fans out there, I promise to tone down, if not stop altogether, the bashing of your idols, I hope. About the issue Sasuke's male fans…I've read of one fic where the author/authoress wrote that there were also male members in Sasuke's fan club. I think that was titled 'For the love of my friends' by Foxie-Sama, a good read as well. I recommend all of you to read it. Well then, enough of my author's notes…-Begins sealing-

It is now time for: Sneak peek no Jutsu!

Chapter 4. Sneak Peek: -No title yet-

_Korugan – A bloodline doujutsu especially made for the aspect of Ninjutsu, The black eyes focus more power into Ninjutsu when it is cast. Making it better and more formidable…_

_Akagan- a bloodline doujutsu especially made for the aspect of Genjutsu, The red eyes help the wielder to set-up a Genjutsu in half the time it normally takes…_

_Aoigan – Some say this doujutsu came from the eyes of a god. Some say that the god of war, Mars, wielded these eyes himself. This bloodline doujutsu is also sometimes called 'the eyes of war'…_

_...Landing hard on his rear, Naruto looked around and examined the dark chamber. A single torch lighted a path to a door, as he walked closer he could see a design on the door. It looked similar to the symbol of Yin Yang; only three figures were carved together in the stone, colored black, red, and blue..._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. If I did own Naruto though, I'd be rich and Naruto would be dating Hinata right now during the manga and the series. I wish I owned Hinata though. She's cute, both 12 year old and 15 year old versions of her.

Summary: .AU. Naruto balances Nin, Gen, and Tai jutsu with the kuro, aka, and aoi doujutsu, which he acquires after reading the forbidden scroll of seals after his second failed attempt at graduation.

A/N: I'm happy that the reviews about the characters being OOC, my grammar and paragraphs being bad and the Naruto character speeches being blocky and hard to read are somewhat gone since last time. I guess writing fan fiction on word pad isn't a good idea after all. Oh well. I hope you enjoy this fourth installment of my fan fiction. As always, be patient with me. Pretty Please?

I've been compiling chapter reviews and I'll wait for a few days for other readers to be done reviewing chapter three. The pairings are still up in the air. But last time I checked the votes; the Naruto x Hinata camp made a comeback and are equal with the Naruto x Tenten camp. I have decided that the pairings won't be revealed until several chapters. For now just review and recommend this story to your friends.

I would also like to request something. If you play King of Fighters and are proficient with kicking ass while controlling Leona Heidern Ikari Warriors Team please send me e-mail with a description of all her moves, desperation moves, and super desperation moves. As well as her movements and reaction times and descriptions of her blood riot mode. Any combos and her counter attacks and cancels will also be appreciated. Thanks in advance to the ones sending me e-mails of Leona's moves.

Another request, if you can recommend a translation website or program that translates English words into Romaji text to me, I would be eternally thankful.

Begin Chapter 4.

Iruka and Naruto left the office of the Hokage with grins plastered on their faces. With Naruto's being more prominent. A result of his career as prankster no doubt. It was a true grin, however. It wasn't a grin that didn't reach his eyes. That was a mask for situations he deemed appropriate. But there was no reason to hide now. He had acknowledgement from his precious people. His life will be free from the control of the council of elders, and what he will do with said life will no longer be controlled by barmy old coots, who were more meddlesome than the Hokage gave them credit for.

Konoha, look out! A more confident and mature Naruto is on the prowl! And he won't take shit from villagers anymore, unlike when he did as a young child.

After saying goodbye to Mayuri, -who ruffled Naruto's hair as he said goodbye- sensei and deshi were off for a celebratory dinner at Ichiraku's. They both tried to invite Mayuri, but she declined, saying that there was a lot of work to be done. Her predecessor had left her a backlog of work, in which Naruto berated the last secretary for. She also explained that it wasn't her habit to slack off during the first day of work. Naruto decided to take the advice to heart, and mentally noted to ask Mayuri for more tips about hard work. Saying goodbye to her for the second time, they left the administration building.

As they were walking, student and sensei talked about the events of the day, Iruka asked Naruto what happened during their team meeting. Naruto then told Iruka about Gai and his teammates, after a few minutes, Naruto had a question. "Ne, Iruka-sensei, do you have a copy of my teammate's full info? I'd like to read them if you don't mind me requesting a copy." At this intelligent question, Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need a copy of their dossier? I have one on file of course in my home. I've always kept a personal file of all the students I've taught." Naruto's face was held in thought as they kept walking.

"Well, I had learned a few things about them when we introduced ourselves in front of Gai-sensei, but I still don't know squat about who they are. So I'm going to need to know them better, I have a feeling that team nine will be together for a long time, even after we become chuunin. So I need to learn more about them. And…do you have Gai-sensei's info as well? Because I need to know at least what to expect tomorrow on our survival exam." As Naruto finished, he turned his head to look at his sensei. Iruka had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Are you sure you're not sick or hallucinating, Naruto?" At his sensei's question, he pouted. "Iruka-senseiiiiiii!" The blonde fox whined as his sensei grinned at him.

"Mou, you're enjoying my suffering, aren't you?" Iruka chuckled as he put an arm around his favorite student. "Just getting some payback, with you being genin, we won't see each other that often anymore. So for the rest of today until tonight, were going to spend time together. Just the two of us." Naruto's head hung low, realizing that what Iruka said was true. Naruto visibly brightened again when Iruka said that he would spend time with him.

"Hontou? We're going to spend the rest of the day together?" Iruka nodded in confirmation. "Hai, after we eat at Ichiraku's, we'll head over to my house and I'll teach you some things that I know." At the promise of a little bit of personal training with his sensei later, Naruto jumped up and shouted.

"Yatta! Iruka-sensei's going to train me personally!" Iruka chuckled as Naruto urged him to go faster towards the direction of Ichiraku's. The Chuunin-sensei figured that Naruto should have every advantage given to him. The burden of being jailor to Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai, which resulted in almost all the adults and children of Konoha to hate him with a passion, really weighed his blonde student down. And when the Hokages of Konoha acknowledged him as savior, he again realized that Naruto has been protecting Konoha from the day of his birth, and even now as they walk.

Being the savior AND Hero of Konoha will hamper his progress and growth as a ninja and a person. And now that Naruto will be taking his first step as a Ninja of the Leaf tomorrow, he vowed to himself that at least for tonight, he won't be undertaking a battle unarmed and uninformed. Picking up his stride, he sped up a little to placate his hyperactive student to hurry towards their favorite ramen stand.

But during the way there, Naruto paused, pulled out his hankie, and went into a sneezing fit just as he had his nose covered. Rubbing his nose, he sheepishly laughed at his situation, making his sensei chuckle. "Gomen…looks like some people are gossiping about me again." Iruka nodded in understanding, and they picked up where they left off in their conversation. As they walked to Ichiraku's, Iruka rubbed the scar on his nose, trying to remember exactly what he needed to tell Naruto that was related to the academy. _"I guess I'll remember it later. We still have a lot of time left, any way"_

Well then, last time we left the 'Annoying Trio', Sakura and Ino were doing stinkingly…

…

Oh well, moving on…

Sasuke was still on the academy grounds as he avoided his most obsessive, rabid, and devoted fan girls, who were on the prowl to get a glimpse of him 'en naturale' with their video and still cameras. These were, of course the girls who missed the 'Shirtless episode' and the 'Naked in the woods episode'. Too bad all of Sasuke's fan girls missed the 'Flying in the air NAKED while cursing Naruto OP and OV' –original pictures and video- THAT was for the black market. The genin academy 'class 105' males who bothered to take those shots will be thousands of ryou richer tomorrow.

Wait…last time the author, they all snapped shots…

I wonder if Itachi watched the black market as well…

…Hee hee…

Well, let's end the torment of the 'Annoying Three' shall we?

…Wait…

…Did I just say 'end their torment?'

…Ah, mou…

…Oh well, time to bash some other characters anyway…

…It's time to spread out, and focus on different targets…

Sakura and Ino, both looking back at the bodies that they left in their wake, just kept running out of the academy. As they neared the residential district, the body count just kept piling up. As they were passing restaurants and other dining establishments serving food, beverages and other types of consumables, the wind picked up. Throwing their 'unique scents' everywhere in their vicinity, the end result was people coming out of said establishments, complaining about the stench and hurling out their dinners, drinks, and whatever they ate or drank.

The business district looked like the morning-after of Konohagakure's drinking festival, and that the participants were doing one nasty upheaval of their hangovers. But it wasn't morning at that time, and the drinking festival won't be happening for several months. And so, there was an argument between the diners not paying because of the stench, and the establishments arguing that it wasn't their fault.

Fortunately, a squad of ANBU had witnessed the commotion from a distance, and started to chase the person, or persons, responsible for this. Of course, they all thought that the perpetrator was Naruto, since he's the only one with the guts and knowledge to stage a village-wide prank. The ANBU fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. They then followed the 'prankster' by sight and scent. As they began the chase for 'Naruto', one ANBU had a confused stare under her mask.

Why are they following TWO stink clouds…?

Meanwhile up ahead, a group of Jounins were walking in the opposite direction of the smelly duo. Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Ebisu, Genma, Raido, Iwashi, Hayate, and Aoba had just walked out of the bar that they had dinner in. The tracker of the group was in the back, reading his 'piece of literature'. Aoba and Ebisu were out in front. Genma, Raido, Iwashi, and Hayate were talking about jutsu. Asuma was of course, smoking. Kurenai was glaring at Kakashi and his 'novel'. But she'd much prefer to torch the one reading the book, not the book itself.

Hey, a woman had issues when porn was in front of them.

There was also a rumor on the Jounin grapevine, stating that Kakashi had issues with women and commitment, and preferred to bed the wilder ones by the dozen, rather than take a decent one to a proper date. It turns out that one girl wasn't that discreet when Kakashi picked her up. By the time he woke up and got rid of his hangover, she had blabbed on and on to her friends how good he was in pleasuring his partner, the measurements of his 'assets' and his 'performance level', which she rated as 'S-Rank to the Kage Level'.

Kakashi was then reported to have donned more masks under his mask. As the new surge of fan girls that Kakashi acquired –which included girls as young as fourteen- hounded the special Jounin.

He never dated anyone outside of the Chuunin and Jounin ranks after that incident.

Suddenly, Kakashi stiffened, jutting his nose in the air as he smelled Sakura and Ino from afar, apparently their stink radius had grown twice over the course of their running.

"Do you smell something?" The Copy Ninja said.

Gekkou Hayate, who also had a sensitive nose, immediately darted sideways perpendicular to the direction that they were walking to. Hayate was heading for the direction of the clean and open air of the forest, so that he won't be affected by the smell. Strangers who looked at him and gave him 'the once over' always concluded three things; One, that he had a respiratory disease because he's always coughing and looking sick. Two, it won't be long before he kicked the bucket. And three, he wasn't a very effective ninja because of the first two things. Well, appearances are more than meets the eye, especially when you look at the ninja. He was just suffering a chronic bout of harsh asthma, which started when he was a kid, and just wouldn't go away no matter what cure the medic-nins tried on him.

And who says he can't kick butt effectively because of it? He actually has Aoba, Ebisu, Genma, Raido, and Iwashi totally owned when they challenge him to spars. His only weakness was that he hated things that smelled bad, rotten, and stinky. And that his girlfriend Uzuki had him whipped in the sparring department.

Hayate's eyes flew open wide in surprise, which shifted to mischievous amusement; as he saw his fellow Jounin drop down like flies, once again his quick thinking spared him from his colleagues' embarrassing fate. He then whipped out a camera as he watched his co-workers taken down by two girls, who he judged to be at ninja academy age. He chuckled deviously as he snapped 'blackmail material'. He and Uzuki will be laughing at these pictures tomorrow after he gets them developed.

After all, having something to blackmail your peers into doing anything you wanted was always a welcomed advantage.

In the ninja world, this was just standard operating procedure, with kickbacks.

As the two groups passed each other, Aoba got decked first with the smell, and fainted. Ebisu dropped down flat and foamed at the mouth while his head twitched involuntarily, he fainted before the two girls even had a chance to pass him. Genma almost swallowed the larger than average senbon in his mouth, luckily his gagging reflex reacted as he hurled, which popped it out of his throat, he promptly fainted after that though. Iwashi's goatee literally fell off of his chin as the duo of Ino and Sakura passed him. Apparently his facial hair was sensitive to stench, he was KO-ed before he hit the ground.

Raido was in the same state; his burn scars were twitching involuntarily in his unconsciousness. Kurenai used Genjutsu on herself to cut off her smelling sense, what she wasn't prepared for was the second wave of stench when she turned it off. She fell to the ground in unconscious bliss, her eyes twitching in anger, surprise, and resentment even if they were closed. There was only one thing on her mind as she blacked out.

"_What the hell?"_

Kakashi managed to lift his hitai-ate up, and tried to stop the girls via Genjutsu hypnosis with his Sharingan, he wasn't expecting to copy jutsus from the two. As the stench saturated his nose, he fell as well, dreaming of Icha Icha scenarios with him as the male character. The unnamed jutsus floated to his mind for later retrieval. Asuma thought he was safe when he jumped to the trees as he saw Aoba fall. It was then that the stench coming from Ino and Sakura, which had an aerial height of 4 meters, reached his branch, Asuma's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and fainted from the smell, falling on Kakashi in a _very_ scandalous position. Hayate made sure that he had extra copies of Asuma and Kakashi, and pulled out another roll of film before his friends woke up.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen…

Ino and Sakura didn't realize it…but they took down three elite Jounins and five Jounins, without even trying. And in defeating Hatake Kakashi, they unknowingly avenged their dark-haired crush's indignation.

Eventually the ANBU squads increased in number as they tracked 'Naruto' all the way to the residential district, which loomed a few meters ahead. All of the ANBU had learned not to underestimate Naruto's pranks. In fact, it was one of the standard protocols to include Naruto's exploits when ANBU inducted new members and had them briefed of their duties. The squads following 'Naruto' were now five in number. Twenty ANBU were now tracking the unsuspecting Ino and Sakura.

One ANBU, a Hyuuga, was wondering why they were following two stink clouds, instead of one. She recalled her induction to ANBU, and had leaned that Naruto did this prank once or thrice during his early days in the academy. Her doubts forced her to activate her Byakugan. With her telescopic sight, she told all the squads that their targets were two girls around academy age. Confused, the captains of the squads asked for their descriptions.

The ANBU squad leaders then checked the recent academy roster, that they produced from a member of the second squad that decided to follow 'Naruto'. As Ino and Sakura's identities were revealed, the other four squad captains called off their squad's pursuit. Once again, Naruto had duped them. And he wasn't even in on this prank. They all sighed as their egos were taken down a peg, as they accepted defeat from the blonde fox.

The original ANBU squad, who assigned themselves to the task of following what they 'thought' was 'Naruto', just chuckled nervously behind their masks. No big matter, they were newly inducted ANBU anyway, they were bound to make a rookie's mistakes. But academy students or not, this act of randomness won't be tolerated. The ANBU squad separated off when their targets did. Their identities were confirmed when each girl entered their homes, causing screams of outrage and indignation from their parents.

It was all muffled because of the ones making the noises were covering their noses, not to mention the walls and doors further muffled the voices. Immediately the parents, especially Ino and Sakura's mothers, ushered them into the bathroom to clean the unsavory smells from their daughters. Sakura and Ino were muttering Naruto's name as they went to their respective bathrooms, as their mothers tagged along. When asked why they were muttering Naruto's name, the girls said that it was because of his prank on them that they might get in trouble. The Haruno matron agreed on her daughter's conclusion, but was taken aback at the news that Naruto graduated earlier than her daughter.

However, the Yamanaka matron hounded her daughter for information, Naruto was known to be always at the scene when his pranks were triggered, always laughing at the victims, when Ino said that Naruto wasn't at the scene of the crime, or crimes, Ino's mom told her to drop the accusations, as she cannot directly point it to Naruto. Ino's mom then lectured her about using the Yamanaka's advanced logic on her predicament. Mentioning that Naruto had graduated ahead of them, and was meeting his Jounin instructor that day instead of being in the academy all day long, Ino's mom pointed out that THAT was her answer if Naruto had pranked her, personally.

Ino hung her head after that in shame. At least one mother doesn't think that lowly of Naruto, I think…

The sunset on Konoha was as lovely as ever as the day ended. But this day will be remembered in Konoha…as "Naruto's day of 'pseudo pranks' ". Because he managed to prank the top three students of his batch without him being there at all. After receiving the reports, the Sandaime Hokage laughed heartily and loudly. But that did not stop him from imposing punishments on Uchiha Sasuke; for indecent behavior and flashing, and Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura for the village-wide disturbance they created.

Speaking of Sasuke, the ninja academy fan girls gave up and went home. He managed to get out of the academy unseen under the cover of darkness. But then, when he was at the residential district, heading for his apartment complex; the fan girls that adored him from ages fourteen to twenty ambushed him, and took pictures of his nakedness. He sighed and hung his head in defeat as he ran away from them, covering his privates. But it didn't deter him to curse his rival. The number two person besides Itachi, who had the ability to torment Sasuke.

**NNNNNAAAAARRRRRRUUUUUTTTTTOOOOO!**

Ino, Sakura, and their moms, didn't leave their bathrooms until morning the next day.

Sasuke managed to shake off his fan girls by hiding again, but by the next two hours, he contracted the common cold and flu from staying outside for prolonged periods, with nothing to wear.

Ino and Sakura were in the same predicament, from staying in the water for too long.

No matter, Sandaime sent notes to all three ninja academy students. Their punishment was a week of suspension from the academy.

Also, Three Kinjutsus were created that day:

Haruno Sakura's Stinky no Jutsu…

Yamanaka Ino's Smelly no Jutsu…

And Uchiha Sasuke's version of Naruto's 'anti-pervert technique', which targeted girls:

Sexy no Jutsu: Sasukepoi –Sexy no Jutsu: Sasuke style-

Sandaime Hokage-sama had a wicked grin as he added a footnote:

Inspired by: Uzumaki Naruto

The author writes that justice has finally been served. He had pawned Naruto's main tormentors in the academy thoroughly. In writing this, he hopes that this chapter will be the last appearance of the 'Annoying Trio' in his fan fiction, as he writes further chapters. He hopes that he will not write about them any more than necessary. And that if they should appear again, a year would have passed in Naruto's training, along with Gai's Team Nine. Or if he were to write about them, it would only be in snippets of scenes, or brief visits.

Naruto and Iruka swapped tales as they walked towards Iruka's house. Naruto had been there several times in his academy days. The Chuunin always found the blonde on his doorstep when the villagers get overbearing and lash out at him personally in more violent ways, since they found out that they couldn't step inside Naruto's house anymore to trash the place, as it was barred from them using advanced locks, which they couldn't find a way to undo.

In a way, Iruka was very happy that Naruto wasn't coming over for the usual reasons. He watched his student as he walked beside him. A little sad that his student had taken a stop closer to his dream, but at the same time happy, as a parent would when his child achieved something great.

Naruto meanwhile, had feelings of sadness and happiness as well. He was happy that people acknowledged him, despite what he has under his navel, especially his Iruka-sensei. But he was equally sad, because that one of the first people who acknowledged him won't be there when he achieves something, either in his training, or in his missions. But as he walked, he realized that whatever he does. Whether it bad or good things, Iruka will always be there for him, albeit in spirit. With extra ramen in tow, he let his thoughts wander as he followed his sensei to his home.

Upon entering the home of his sensei, Naruto observed how the house hasn't changed a bit in the last times he visited. The standard couch, coffee table, and television were in the living room. A wall separated it from the kitchen and two bedrooms. As he looked around the room, he noticed something odd hanging from one of the racks. "Ne Iruka-sensei, what is that thing over there?"

Upon removing his shoes from the entrance of the apartment, Iruka looked at the thing Naruto was pointing at. "Oh, that thing? It's called a guitar. It's one of the relics of the old world." Iruka explained as he approached the guitar and lifted it off from where it hung.

The guitar was polished in regular colors, the sides were polished a deep black with white trim around the edges. The front of the guitar was light yellow in color, bordering brown and orange like polished and cut wood. The neck was of regular length, six metal strings, which Naruto observed were a lot thicker than the metal strings other ninja use, were placed along the neck of the guitar. The guitar's strings were placed from the topmost part of the neck, to the mid-bottom portion of the body.

As he examined the guitar, Naruto gave it a wicked grin. "The main part resembles the bodies of some the daimyo's wives." Iruka just chuckled and nodded to the blonde fox's comparison. "Yes, they look quite the same, but don't tell that I agreed with you, ok? It's our secret." Naruto just nodded as he sported a wicked grin at his sensei, who was mirroring his own grin. A question came up on Naruto's head as he was sharing grins with Iruka. "Well…what does it do? Is it a weapon? Is it used in some kind of special jutsu that you use?" Iruka shook his head at the questions Naruto threw at him.

"It isn't a weapon Naruto, and I don't use it in conjunction with a jutsu…it's true purpose, for me that is…is to create music." Iruka explained as he strummed at the guitar, playing a piece of music familiar to him. As Naruto sat, entranced at Iruka's movements on the guitar, he realizes that this was a side of his sensei that was hidden from the rest of the world, a softer, more sensitive Iruka, who was in tune with his life and of the lives of others. As the song finished, Naruto was in awe at the 'music' that Iruka played for him, clapping at his sensei's performance. "S-sugoi, Iruka-sensei…that was awesome…"

Iruka just waved his hand in dismissal of Naruto's praise. Saying that he wasn't one of the best players, he then told Naruto how he had come across the relic.

"I was on a mission near Kusagakure when I came by a stall that were selling several of these, the owner of the stall told me a little history of the instrument and how it was lost eons ago with the advent of the Demons and the last war of the world. He also gave me a booklet on how to learn the guitar, and he also sells other instruments.

He recommended the guitar to me because it was easy to learn if you have the time. That was the time after your last visit I think, which was three years ago. I've been making music for sometime now, if you'll visit from time to time, maybe I can play some of it for you. Playing this instrument also makes me relax." Naruto nodded as he looked at the guitar.

"I guess it helps you relieve the stress from the academy…" The blonde genin-to-be concluded. Iruka nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, sometimes when the work burden, the kids, and you become stressfully hard to overcome, I play. It's a change from all the missions, the lessons for the academy, and the general pressure from the Shinobi career."

As Naruto examined the guitar once again, he asked Iruka if he could teach him to play the guitar. Iruka nodded, but said that Naruto would have to buy his own guitar so that they can play at the same time. After asking how much the guitar was when the Chuunin bought it three years ago, Naruto found that such an investment would be more beneficial in the long run. After a few moments of conversations, Iruka went to his file cabinet to photocopy the dossiers of Tenten, Lee, Neji, and Gai.

Naruto continued to examine the guitar while his sensei was away, after a few minutes, the two set off again for the training grounds that were deserted at nighttime. As they stepped out into the moonlit night, Naruto didn't notice the backpack hanging off of Iruka's shoulders.

Meanwhile in the Hokage tower, Sarutobi was looking in on the conversations of Iruka and Naruto, satisfied that the prophecy and the fact that Naruto was the savior of Konoha wasn't being discussed as one of their topics, he turned the jutsu off on his crystal ball, and proceeded to clean up the draft of Naruto and his status change in Konoha.

The council of elders will have no choice but to give up their hold on him once they read Yondaime's will, he will then present to the council the 'Level of Secrecy Decree' concerning Naruto. He then can act freely on what Naruto's training will be like in the next year or so.

A well-written letter to one of his students, who was now making his living by using his perversion and his eloquence in writing 'literature', had just been sent this afternoon, regarding the discovery of his student's last will, and what it contains. Sandaime was counting on the fact that Jiraiya had gotten over his mourning over the death of Yondaime, and that he was willing to take on another apprentice because of Yondaime's will.

Smiling at the thought of seeing the 'idiot of the three' amongst his students, and maybe getting another unreleased copy of his work before it gets published, he proceeded to write on well into the night his warpath. If the council does not agree to his ideas, then they better look for his replacement this early on. For he will no longer tolerate 'No' as an answer.

Naruto dodged to the left as he parried Iruka's strike, sensei and student have been practicing in one of the deserted training fields nearest Iruka's house. Iruka was instructing Naruto on the basics of fighting with a combat knife, or a tanto. There was no time to re-train Naruto in basic Taijutsu, as the genin survival exam was just hours away. The best Iruka can do for Naruto is to give him instruction in basic knife fighting.

One of Iruka's gifts to Naruto included a titanium combat knife and a tanto, both were carbon black in color so that no light will reflect on the surfaces, the blades were also engraved with a dark orange-tipped tailed fox with red fur, flaming nine tails were wrapped around the blade. Naruto was blinking held-back tears as he examined the blades Iruka gave him. Seeming to be a blessing as Naruto begun his career as a ninja, and acceptance and forgiveness for what he has under his navel.

Said tanto was now hanging in front of Naruto's kunai holster on his right thigh, while the combat knife was strategically placed on Naruto's waist, the holster molded within the belt that now hung above on Naruto's upper waist, along with two pairs of new shuriken and kunai holsters. Iruka also presented Naruto with brand new kunai and shuriken, of course. Iruka also gave him the location of the best weapons shop in Konoha, who made quality weapons at lower prices than the competition.

Iruka was enjoying the spar between him and his most excellent student. He had always known that Naruto was a fast learner, if he applied himself to what he was learning. That was what separated him from his other students, who were either called 'geniuses' or 'prodigies'.

He had also known what Naruto had to go through during the years in the academy that he wasn't present for. The neglect was rolling off Naruto in waves when he became his homeroom sensei. It was no secret in the academy that most of the senseis there hated him, especially the ones who were genin when the Kyuubi killed their parents. Iruka had sometimes wondered if Naruto would have graduated without his help, when he recalled that Naruto graduated on his own determination, he just grinned mentally.

As he brought himself to reality again, he noticed that Naruto was keeping up with his autonomic moves as he parried attacks again and again. He then called a halt to their spar and sat down on the grass. Naruto's face was a grin from ear to ear. Iruka chuckled as he identified with the face. In his genin days, he always wore the same grin when their sensei showed them a new jutsu.

All of his childhood exuberance ended though when he made his first kills as a ninja. As he went through life and coped after those first kills and field experience first as a genin, and later in life as a Chuunin, he wrote a small book with his memos. In time it had become a moderately thick book. He was now just picking a time to get it published.

Naruto dropped from a sitting position, to a lying position. He then looked at the stars up above the night sky. "I wonder if there are other ninjas among the stars, and what jutsus they create that are so different from ours." Once again, Iruka chuckled at his innocence. And proceeded to narrate the past history of their world.

"Some people say that we are the only living things in the universe, Naruto. Ancient history chronicles that thousands of years ago, countries made a bid to conquer the stars themselves, and planned to make contact with beings outside this planet of our 'solar system', as the past scientists call our world and the surrounding planets, along with the sun. The governments all around the world launched space expeditions and had left communication devices to act as our messengers to other civilizations. The governments hoped that these devices would bridge our wishes to communicate with other civilizations that are more advances than ours.

But then, war broke out among the most powerful countries, and the ancient world was plunged in what would be called as the last war of that century. Since other nations can counter the conventional weapons that some countries unleash at them, and so the war turned inward to the human capabilities of the soldiers, and eventually all the countries turned to the science that we call 'genetics'.

All of the nations then surged ahead, and produced modified soldiers that can adapt to any situation and environment. And so the war turned to the frontlines once more. It was called 'the gene wars' back then. Some say that it was the foundation of what is to be called today as the bloodline limits.

And then the time came that nations used the ultimate evil of weapons: The youkai wars were started when a nation summoned minor demons and beasts to fight the war for them. After the first wave of demonic destruction and chaos, all the nations turned to the unnatural and unholy abilities these demons wielded. And thus the advent of the demon wars came to be called the longest and most destructive war of all time, killing billions of humans and destroying the known world, decimating large cities and the vast knowledge they contain. As well as the most advanced technologies that they held.

It is the reason that most of the technologies and how they were used became lost as the demons ravaged the planet itself. At the height of the wars, the tailed beasts like the Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai, and other tailed demons, the fiercest and the strongest of them all, were drawn into this world.

As the tailed beasts fought amongst each other, cities were gone in a night, mountains collapsed, rivers trickled dry, forests burned to embers, and the continents drifted in together to form a new world map. The tidal wave of this new war plunged our already crumbling world into darkness at its climax, which lasted thousands of years. The technologies and advancements we have come to rely upon were now lost. But once again, human nature and the indomitable spirit that we have carried to the beginning of our species until now, found a way to survive.

Our humanity saved us from the brink of extinction. The youkai that were still around taught us how to use their energies, thus 'chakra' was born. The capability to fight against the youkai was more apparent in the people that the youkai touched, befriended, or in some instances, had mates with. Thus the bloodline and bloodline limit clans were born. With their strengths, and the newfound way to manipulate the energies which the demons were using themselves, the humans fought back and drove some of the youkai to extinction, some youkai were sealed like your 'tenant', or the youkai fought amongst themselves and killed each other." Iruka turned to look at his student, and looked at the stars himself.

"And now, here we are, several thousand years when the youkai were driven back, and several hundred years later after the formation of the hidden villages, we still encounter some of the Youkai that are still loose out there, and that some of the hidden villages, like Kumogakure and Iwagakure, are hostile with our village. Thus we are at an impasse situation with some of them. But with the Chuunin exams held bi-annually in the allied countries, the chances of all out war have been reduced.

The technologies that were lost are still being unearthed and rediscovered as time goes on. The only difference is that we are able to draw the power that youkai once called theirs. Even if it's just a simple version of it." Iruka finished as he looked at his student, who was on his side and listening to him with rapt attention. Naruto then nodded and smiled at the small history lesson.

"Ne, Iruka-sensei. If you had summarized the history of our world like that in our lessons, we would have finished with world history a long time ago." The blonde ninja stood up while brushing off grass and leaves on his clothes, that was when he received a bop in the head. "Itte…" he rubbed his head as he smiled cheekily at his sensei, who was now looking at him with disapproval. Shaking his head, Iruka told Naruto that the break was over. It was now nearing eight in the evening, and he still had much to teach his blonde student.

A few hours later…

It was nearing eleven pm when Iruka ended their training session. Iruka toted a backpack while they were traveling. Naruto hasn't seen the backpack before, so he figured that it was for carrying Iruka's ninja tools and such. At the crossroads where they agreed to separate, Iruka slipped the backpack off his shoulders and handed it to him. At his questioning glance, Iruka explained what the backpack was, and what it contained.

"Remember the night when you kicked Mizuki's butt?" Naruto's face lit up in a grin as he recollected what happened that night. He nodded after that. "You asked me for some things that will help you on your training, right? Well, all of what you asked is in this backpack. I've also added some things that you didn't mention to include. I think all of the things inside there will greatly help your training." Iruka then asked Naruto to turn around; he then slipped the backpack on his student's shoulders from behind. Iruka fought his brimming tears as he realized the significance of what he was doing.

"_The fact that I am giving this backpack to him, means that I am accepting that he is no longer my student any more…"_

As he adjusted the straps of the backpack, Iruka turned Naruto around, kneeled, and hugged him. Tears spilled in his eyes as he fought back sobs. "Hey, be careful out there, ok? Don't be arrogant and loud. Always think before you do something or take up an action, or come to a decision that may be irreversible, or you may wind up dead before you become Hokage. That would be pretty stupid to do, you know?" At Naruto's silent nod, he continued. "The things I gave to you really made a dent in my savings account, so I won't be treating you to Ichiraku for several months." Again, Naruto nodded in understanding.

"If you're not sure about something, need a sparring partner, or if you just need someone to talk to, just visit me at home or at the academy, and we'll see what we can do." Iruka wiped his tears with his sleeve as he broke the hug, and stood up. He just laughed as he saw tears streaming down his student's cheeks. "You've been crying!" he snorted a laugh at his student. Naruto pointed at back at him, along with a sad pout. "Well…you've been crying too!" At this point sensei and deshi burst out in laughter, which died down as fast as the tears did. In a spur of the moment decision, Naruto walked up to his sensei and hugged his waist.

"I promise I'll be careful, can't be Hokage if I'm dead, can I? The next time we meet I'm going to be the one treating you to Ichiraku. And expect me to kick your butt when I need you as a sparring partner." Naruto smiled as he broke the hug. Waving farewell to his sensei in silence, he turned around and ran to the direction of his house. Iruka watched his soon-to-be former student's progress as his form vanished into the night. Walking in the direction of his own apartment, he brushed an errant tear off his eye.

"_Naruto, be careful out there. You're like the son I never had. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"_

Unknown to Iruka, Naruto was musing the same thing in his mind at the moment, as he ran to his apartment.

"_You're like the father I didn't have the time to know before he died, Iruka-sensei…I promise to apply everything you taught me in my career as a ninja. If there's one person I need to become Hokage for, it would be you."_

Meanwhile inside Naruto's mind, four humanoid figures began to materialize in the recesses of Naruto's subconscious. The imprints of the Hokages of Konoha began to restructure themselves at the edge of Naruto's subconscious. As the Hokages' forms finally stabilized, they each fanned out and looked at Naruto's mind, and the state of neglect, abuse, hate, and coldness that it had endured in eleven years.

The Yondaime was feeling extra guilty as he examined the dark, dank, sewer-like state that Naruto's subconscious was in. According to a research that he had done while still 'alive', only people who were battle-hardened, or had serious mind disorders had this kind of subconscious._**" How does he handle it all? This mind has been suffering for so long, I'm certain that it's only a matter of time before it cracks!"**_

Shodaime was nodding at the Fourth's findings. Being close to the founders of the Yamanaka clan, he has seen mind states that were like this, but not to the extent of what Naruto's mind is suffering. _**"Yes, Naruto's current state of mind is rather unstable right now, but with more people being friends with him and acknowledging him, his mind won't look like this for long. All he needs is more friends and more encouragement."**_

Sandaime rubbed his chin as he examined the dark passages of Naruto's memories. With his 'peers', he was a calm, comforting presence, but inside the warm mask that he gave to his subordinates, he was seething at his real self, how could Saru-kun allow this? **"I believe that my real self is planning something to change that, we just need more time to plan out Naruto's ascension as the true Savior of Konoha. For now, all we can do is strengthen and improve his mind so that the Kyuubi cannot exploit his vulnerabilities. Yondaime is accurate about his conclusion on Naruto's mind as whole. I am going to have some really nasty things to say to my old self when next we meet."**

Once again, 'the professor's words and opinions were accepted by the group. As they converged together, Nidaime asked the Yondaime a question.

"_**Is Naruto your real son and heir-apparent?" **_

The others were looking at him for an answer as well. Including imprint Sandaime, feeling that he was cornered, Yondaime shook his head. _**"I do not know for sure if he is my son. When I got to the hospital, I immediately rushed to the ward where the newborn babies were being cleaned. There was only one babe who was born that night, without looking at the nametag on the baby's wrist, I whisked him off from the nurse's arms, took off the nametag, immediately summoned Gamabunta, and headed off to the location where our Shinobi were fighting the Kyuubi.**"_ Yondaime took a deep breath and continued.

"_**You all know what happened next, after sealing Kyuubi in Naruto's navel, I died. As an imprint, I have no recollection of what has happened after I sealed Kyuubi, I am like you in mind state, we are only the last thoughts and wishes of the Hokages that we portray. That we are only a way of storing information inside the scroll of seals, and that we have almost all the memories of our real selves. But for now, we will just have to wait for Sandaime's updates on the scroll of seals." **_Yondaime finally finished his explanation to the others, who just nodded in assent to his explanation. Nidaime once again joined the conversation.

"_**I believe this is the appropriate time to check up on Naruto's 'tenant'. This is also a test to see if Aniki still has his Bijuu-controlling abilities, even though he is just an imprint. It is also a test to see if Aniki's bijuu-control has been passed down to Naruto as well."**_ As Nidaime finished, Yondaime added a suggestion.

"_**I think we should wait until next night. If I remember correctly, Naruto needs his sleep, as he has to take the genin survival exams tomorrow. We will have to wait before we can bring him here. So that 'tenant' and 'landlord' can finally see each other, face to face."**_ The Hokages agreed as their forms dissipated again.

Inside the Kyuubi's cage, the Nine-tailed youkai was anticipating the arrival of his jailor. For the Demon, it did not matter if the one who kept him inside these bars were accompanied by the mere imprints of the past. What mattered right now were his plans for the future, and the time when he is freed from this cage that the yellow-haired rat put him in eleven years ago. After he was free, he will again hunt down the treacherous being who put him and his loved ones in this predicament.

Naruto opened the door to his apartment with a special key that he kept in a chain around his neck. It was the only reminder that he has owned anything in this world. He had found out long ago that Sandaime was the one paying the rent of the apartment, as well as the water, gas, and electricity bills. He also has a monthly allowance, given by the Sandaime himself. He was thankful that the Third was looking out for him, despite the whole village treating him lower than the dirt under their toenails. Ten years of his memories were spent here, especially when the orphanage kicked him out at the age of one year and three months.

Stepping inside the threshold of his room, he announced his presence. "Tadaima…" he said sadly, as he lived alone, he had no one to go home to, no family, no mother to greet his arrival with a warm meal and an even warmer and kind smile, no siblings to exuberantly greet him as he took off his shoes, and no father to ask how he was progressing at the academy. Such was the life of an orphan, never knowing who your real parents were, if you had siblings or cousins or any relations somewhere. He even envied his rival Sasuke, as he had parents before some Itachi person killed off the whole Uchiha Clan, the absence of relations was more heartfelt when there were activities in the academy that included someone related to you. To Naruto, the pain was more acute when his birthday or other holidays came up.

As Naruto shook off his sadness, he sat up from the entrance and turned on the lights, he then entered his apartment. Dropping the backpack off his bedroom, he proceeded to clean his somewhat messy living room. Because Naruto had the whole village hating his guts, he hasn't had a visitor since he moved in when he was only one year and three months, except for the occasional irate villagers who trashed his apartment when he had just started living there, to drive him out of the village. So it was perfectly normal for him to find his apartment in a mess. But now that he was going to be a genin, he needed to shape up his house, for he would never know when his teammates or sensei would visit him.

After the 'cleansing' of his living room, he decided that it was enough work for the night and headed off to the shower for a quick bath, and to brush his teeth. As he dried off, he headed for his bedroom, which was a little messier than the living room. With laundry basket in hand, he proceeded to at least clean his room of stray and dirty clothing, which he had always neglected to pick up until the last minute when he did his laundry.

Seeing as the basket was almost full, he reminded himself to do laundry as soon as possible. Dumping his laundry basket in the small laundry room, along with the towel that he used for the shower, he padded back to his room in his boxers. Buttoning up his pajamas, he spied the backpack that Iruka gave him, looking at the time on his alarm clock; he proceeded to examine its contents. Opening the zipper, he spied a scroll of above average size with a note tied in its seal strings, along with rolled up papers containing the dossiers of his teammates. Naruto then read the attached note on the scroll.

Naruto,

Congratulations on becoming a graduate! This scroll, and the contents on this backpack are filled with training tools and aids with you in mind. This big scroll contains scrolls with Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu of basic genin level. It also contains a scroll with chakra control exercises on them, from genin to jounin. Example is the academy level leaf control exercise. I also have some basic elemental jutsu scrolls in here, like Suiton: Mizu kunai no jutsu. Some practical jutsus for everyday use like the quick drying jutsu, and regular, non-elemental offensive jutsus like kage shuriken and kage kunai no jutsu.

I also gave you ten pairs of clothes, in stealth colors that you can mix and match. I've also provided a scroll to contain them, I know about the irate villagers who vandalize your apartment from time to time, so this is a good solution. Remember the belt I gave you along with the knife? If you take it off, you'll find that there are seals on the holster of the knife. Just press the different seals and see what happens. But that would be for later, I have also added some books and scrolls for you to read and learn. Now, don't make that face Naruto. The tai chi and meditation books will help you greatly. Trust me on this, please? I've never taught you anything that you can't apply on in life. Haven't I?

I have also put two scrolls on the bottom of the bag. These scrolls contain a kodachi, and a ninja-to. These are for when you master the knife and tanto forms I have included on a scroll in the large scroll. Remember that there are no shortcuts to hard work and perseverance, so I want you to master the tanto and the knife forms of fighting, as wielding swords of greater length are taxing to the body. So I just want you to practice with the tanto and knife until you're proficient enough to bring down someone twice your size with them.

I have also given you gravity weight bands, what are they you ask? They are just bands with seals written on them in permanent ink. Activating them will increase the weight, and increase the gravity in that part of the body. Unlike training weights, which you can only put in specific parts of your body, weight bands can be easily put on or off in areas of the body that get neglected. That way you can fully train the whole body. You can also use training weights in conjunction with the weight bands, as the weight bands can be configured to sink under your skin so as to not get in the way with your everyday activities. The weight bands are our secret by the way. Do not, I repeat. DO NOT tell anyone that you are wearing gravity weight bands! Ok?

Well then, I hope that when I see you next, you'd have grown more as a ninja. Good luck on your career. And remember; don't go running into something that you can't get out of! And don't take any crap from anyone starting tonight. And don't listen to people that will say that you are weak, are a waste of training space and time. You're my 'most excellent student'! Always remember that, ok? You're the only one amongst the countless students that I have taught to ever receive a title from me, so live up to the title that I gave you.

Your shinobi gakuen sensei,

Iruka.

P.S. About the genin survival exam…well, it isn't fair for your batch mates that are still here in the academy if I easily gave you the exact answer to pass the exam. I know that you know about the genin survival exam already, but I'm not really sorry that I did not give you any warning as to what it was. But as my favorite student, and a close friend of mine, I want you to pass the exam. So I'll just give you some clues.

A whole does not function without its parts; it also cannot function with just one part.

There is no "I" in the word "Team".

Ganbatte! -Drawing of a chibi Iruka with the speech bubble 'Ganbatte!' written in bright orange kanji seen here-

Naruto smiled as he read Iruka's letter over and over again, brushing an errant tear out of his eye as he hugged it to his chest. His resolve for passing the survival exams and making one of his precious people proud loomed in his mind. But before he resolved to sleep, he decided to finally read the forbidden bloodline scroll. Lifting up his pajama shirt, he uncovered the container seal on his heart. Sandaime had put it in there as a storage seal for the forbidden bloodline scroll. Drawing a small amount of blood. He spread it over the seal and did a minor summon. The scroll then materialized in his bed. Naruto opened the blood seal on the scroll with just a drop of blood, and started to read.

"_Welcome, Savior of Konoha, and possibly the world… to an exclusive club that is more rare than even the rank of any Kage of the five Shinobi countries. This scroll details the abilities of the three doujutsu. It also states why acquiring these doujutsu as one bloodline was deemed forbidden. And why only the Savior of Konoha and the world is permitted to have such bloodline doujutsus in one person or body. It also details the initial tasks for the blood ritual the savior must undergo if he were to receive the forbidden bloodline._

_But first, here are the abilities of the three doujutsu, in no particular order. _

_**Kurogan** – A bloodline doujutsu especially made for the aspect of Ninjutsu, The black eyes focus more power into Ninjutsu when it is cast with less chakra costs. Making it better and more formidable. Unlike the Sharingan of the Uchiha, which only copies Ninjutsu and stores it in the part of the brain where it is easily retrievable. Although it cannot copy jutsus, the Kurogan forces it's wielder to look at the deeper aspects of the Ninjutsu, which he or she is studying or watching._

_Better understanding of the Ninjutsu results in a better execution of the technique at the moment the Korugan wielder calls for it. With the Korugan, it's wielder will have a better understanding of Ninjutsu, as well as forming ideas for the improvement of Ninjutsu that he has already mastered, or the formation of a new Ninjutsu. It was reported that some of the greatest Ninjutsu ever created came from the theories and insights of Kurogan wielders._

_**Akagan** - A bloodline doujutsu especially made for the aspect of Genjutsu, The red eyes help the wielder to set-up a Genjutsu in half the time it normally takes. Since Genjutsu users are intelligent already, it simply builds on the wielder's imagination to create more powerful Genjutsu, which can fool two or more of the five major senses of the body. With time and training, the wielder of Akagan will study and create more powerful Genjutsu that takes only a short time to set. As well as the creation of Genjutsu which other doujutsu users cannot break. _

_The Sharingan can see through Genjutsu while the Byakugan disables a Genjutsu completely. But if faced with a high-leveled user of the Akagan, they will be hard-pressed to dispel the Genjutsu it's wielder casts, because the Genjutsu an Akagan wielder casts can be equaled to a blood-limit aided, or blood-limit created Genjutsu. Full mastery of the Akagan means that you can create a Genjutsu that can fool all five senses of the body, including the sixth sense. Making its wielder very deadly indeed._

_**Aoigan** – Some say this doujutsu came from the eyes of a god. Some say that the god of war, Mars, wielded these eyes himself. This bloodline doujutsu is also sometimes called 'the eyes of war'. The Aoigan can prove it's worth in battle. These eyes bestow upon its wielder the gift of doubled training. Any effort to strengthen the body, whether physical, mental, spiritual, or any other aspect will result in greater benefits for the Aoigan user, whether it is active or not, as the Aoigan supports the physical aspects of the body and it's growth. Using the Aoigan in battle will keep your body in a relaxed and calm state, letting you think and plan your movements as you fight, therefore minimizing the damage you will receive in battle._

_The Aoigan also raises your fighting spirit and stamina reserves by ten percent in it's starting level, full mastery of the doujutsu results in an increase of fifty to eighty percent in chakra reserves, depending on the user. You will also learn how to masterfully wield a weapon in half the time it takes to learn to wield it and master it, as Taijutsu also includes physical weapons. Fully mastering Aoigan makes its wielder into a soldier who can walk into an existing skirmish and walk back out with three fourths of the enemy force decimated, while receiving little to minimal damage to the user._

_As stated at the beginning, these bloodline doujutsu are so powerful that it was forbidden to acquire it as one bloodline limit, apparently the three doujutsu becomes limited in form and power because of interbreeding between the tribes of Aka, Kuro and Aoi. _

_The history of the three doujutsu states that these doujutsu once came from the most powerful youkai that entered the planet via a summoning ritual. These records are thousands of years old, as it chronicles the dark ages of human history after the youkai wars plunged the world in a state of darkness and chaos, where the youkai ran freely on the world and the humans they terrorized were mere playthings and food in their view. Although some youkai would disagree with that notion_

_Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai came into this world, bringing forth chaos and destruction. It's eyes were the foundation of Akagan, and the human Aka tribe who used illusions for defense. The Aka tribe was moderate in population, as the mates the Nine-tailed fox chose to bring forth Hanyou were few and far between. _

_The more peaceful Nana Ookami no Kuro, the seven-tailed black wolf, had more difficulty finding mates. The Kuro tribe was formed after the Aka tribe. Some of The Ookami's most talented offspring had turned to manipulating nature. Lightning, Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire were just some of the elements that the Kuro tribe controlled. As such they faced no competition from other Hanyou clans. But the Kuro tribe preferred to share their abilities with other people who were outside the tribe, especially with the Aka and Aoi tribes, which the seven-tailed wolf approved._

_The lesser-tailed youkai with six tails completed the trio of powerful youkai that had tribes of their own. The Rokubi no Tora no Aoi was the most prolific amongst the three youkai. The six-tailed, blue tiger demon was the strongest among the three in a physical sense. The Aoi tribe that the tiger formed after the youkai's first Hanyou was born held the triple balance in check. With the tribes and youkai, the governing rule of demons and Hanyou were settled and unchallenged for thousands of years._

_There were also lesser Hanyou tribes and communities that had other doujutsu colors. But in time they grew scarce and their line died out, only to reappear again as their youkai interbred again with humans._

_Eventually the color of eyes became diverse in a hundred years, but scarce the next hundred. Only the red, blue, and black tribes and their Hanyou remained intact and well._

_The three tribes also recognized a powerful tribe outside of their alliance, because of their unique white eyes. The white eyes were stated to have come from a demon falcon, hawk, or eagle with four tails. _

_After two hundred more years, the none-doujutsu bloodline limit clans were formed, because there were blood limits that focused on other parts of the body instead of the eyes. A blood limit is very much unlike a regular bloodline. The difference is that there was limitations imposed either physically or genetically in said bloodline. Hence the added word 'limit', because more bloodlines became more focused on an aspect inside or outside of the body, and limited the clans to that ability. _

_One day the white tribe's ruling family produced an offspring with onyx eyes. They found out that their abilities did not breed true to this offspring, and the white tribe, turning proud and arrogant as the years passed by, disowned the child and his 'inferiority', but it was recorded that the child wasn't banished from the tribe, as it was the mother's request that he stayed. The status of an outcast though, did not deter the child to develop his own power. _

_In an inquiry about the child, it turned out that the ruling family had come in contact with some members of the Aka, Aoi and Kuro tribe's Hanyou eight months before the offspring was to be born. The contact alone was enough at it seems. For when the child matured, the blood red eyes with black tomoe appeared in his pupils. The child, now a man, had a level of proficiency of both the Aoi and Kuro tribe's abilities, as well as to seemingly counter the abilities of the Aka tribe. But this seemingly new eyes did not achieve the full powers of the tribes that the ruling family had contacted with. The newly spawned doujutsu; was recognized by the three major Youkai tribes as another bloodline limit doujutsu. _

_Eventually, more offspring bearing the new eyes appeared within the white tribe, which the tribe perceived as a plague or disease that threatened their superiority, and the future of their tribe. Eventually the tribe underwent 'cleansing' to get rid of the chaos the new eyes would bring to their internal government. As the last member of this new tribe drew his last breath, he promised that his descendants would 'come like a wave', and disrupt 'the life and ruling of the white' with their call of rebellion and freedom. _

_As this was happening, the three major tribes still balanced each other in power and strength. A thousand years more passed and a mysterious person challenged the tribes with extinction. Incidentally, the three youkai had left their tribes to fend for themselves, as they were more structured and organized than the lesser tribes out there._

_Eventually this mysterious person began a study of the abilities of the three doujutsu, and his power-hungry quest began. He proceeded to make a forbidden jutsu and transferred the essence of the Kurogan to his own eyes, after killing off the whole Kuro tribe, who had been nothing but hospitable and tolerant with him. His next conquest was the Aoigan. Although the Aoi tribe resisted en masse, they were outmatched by the person's intimate knowledge of the Kurogan's full abilities. The last one who died in Aoi was the leader and the oldest one who had the Aoigan. _

_After obtaining the essence of the Aoigan and the Kurogan, he proceeded to torment the Akagan tribe. The Kyuubi elected nine guardians of the red tribe to act as his tails before he left. The Akagan users held and repelled the mysterious person responsible for unbalancing the three tribes. But at the eighth battle, the Akagan nine crumbled and the Akagan was acquired, the genocide of the three tribes was now complete, which did not escape the knowledge of the three youkai who founded them._

_After the tribes of Kuro, Aka, and Aoi were wiped out, the now dubbed 'Goshijun-sama no Akuma' confronted the ire of the youkai that built the balanced power of three doujutsu, along with the souls of the human and Hanyou tribes and communities that they had invested in for thousands of years. The 'Master of Demons' fought the ones who indirectly blessed him with his own powers in a bloody display of combat that left the lesser Hanyou, Youkais, and some humans who watched from afar, Shaking to the core of their heart and soul. It was not a battle for the faint-hearted. _

_In the battle against the three youkai, the power hungry destroyer held his own in terms of ability, skill, wit, and cunning. But as a mere frail human, he lost the battle of attrition that the youkai, especially the Kyuubi, thrived in. As the three youkai stripped him of the eyes, tortured, mutilated, and killed his body, he vowed that even if he couldn't go back to this realm, he would find a way to make everyone and everything in this planet suffer a hellish existence. The youkai then sent his soul to the void realm via a special demonic banishment technique. _

_This is where the tale of the forbidden bloodline doujutsus pauses for the moment. All other details will be revealed in subsequent readings of this scroll. However…the window for the bloodline ritual begins here. For now, you must complete three tasks prior to undergoing the ritual. The first three tasks the Savior needs to do is…"_

Reading the scroll for the tasks he needed to do, Naruto began to memorize it as he reread the tasks several more times to ensure he does not make any mistakes, but just to make sure, he wrote the tasks on a separate scroll with his secret script. Resealing the scroll, he cancels the summoning via a seal outside the scroll, making it disappear in existence. He then went back to examining the other contents of the backpack Iruka gave him, and secured it in his 'secret room'. The blonde ninja finally succumbed to his weariness and fell asleep with a wide grin on his face, after he set his alarm clock of course.

Next morning…

The loud blare of the alarm clock signaled the onset of morning. Naruto sat up from his bed, a little more bleary-eyed than usual. Fully waking up was accomplished when his feet touched the cold floor. He then glanced at the time; there was an hour to go before he was due to go to training grounds nine. Naruto then recalled the first team meeting with Gai-sensei, and his last words before he left them after the meeting.

"_And don't bother to eat breakfast, because I cannot guarantee that it will stay in your passionate stomachs!"_

Naruto chuckled at his soon-to-be-sensei's speech, and contemplated whether or not to eat breakfast. Having still not made up his mind, he figured that it would be better to multi-task and think while he was in the shower. Shedding his pajamas and nightcap, he made a side-trip to the laundry room. Retrieving the towel that he used last night for his morning shower. Clad in his ramen boxers, he proceeded to have an invigorating bath.

After stepping out of the bathroom, he padded over to his closet while he dried his hair and body. He opened his closet halfway and plucked a pair of pants, muscle shirt, and a vest in the same style that he wore yesterday. But instead of red, this pair's color was midnight black; the vest's color was also black. Naruto figured that he might need the stealth factor today in the test. He also used black fighting bandages instead of the sky blue ones that he used yesterday, but he hesitated to put it on, deciding to bandage later, he searched for his ninja gear. Strapping his gear on the right places, he then walked over to his 'secret room'.

They say that in the old days, a Ninja's house had secret entrances and exits that assured the owner that his escape was guaranteed, if his true identity were to be ever found out. Naruto's secret room was a little bit different; the room had a door, which connected to a passageway that he followed one day to investigate where it led. He discovered it six months after he moved into the apartment. It just led him to a door that was locked from the other side and was barricaded. After his curiosity was satisfied, he never felt the need to explore the tunnel anymore.

After some irate villagers broke into his apartment and trashed it several times in order to drive him out of the village, Naruto decided to build his 'secret room'. He then hid his most valuable things in the room that he himself renovated, painted, and rebuilt with his own hands. Sandaime also helped him by pointing him to the house of an old locksmith, who took up the job after he retired as a Jounin. The locksmith had no grudges with Naruto, as his loved ones had long since died before Kyuubi attacked the village.

The locksmith, feeling that his life was waning, lessoned four year-old Naruto on basic sealing techniques, which the Jounin then invented into the profession of lock sealing. The result of this was that Naruto was familiar with basic, mid-level and advanced seals, and he could now invent powerful locking techniques. The locksmith told Naruto not to use his teachings for mischief and illegal purposes.

He then made Naruto to take a Ninja's oath, which at the time was a very serious promise Naruto made. The locksmith was proud at the amount of knowledge Naruto learned, and gave him the scrolls that he first wrote and used when he was beginning his livelihood, saying that Naruto was now the only person in the whole continent with the knowledge of locking techniques via seals.

When the locksmith died, the ones who came to the burial were only Naruto and the Sandaime. Naruto held back tears as he held the picture of his first sensei and master. Sandaime then gave Naruto a bankbook after the funeral, and handed the urn with the locksmith's ashes to him. The ashes, scrolls, and bankbook were now in an altar that Naruto dedicated to his sensei. As well as a few trinkets and things that were precious to him. Thanks to the locking techniques, no more villagers can break into his house and trash it like they owned the place.

He then proceeded to kneel at his first sensei's altar and pray. He just told him about his graduation, his coming survival exam, and the new things that Iruka gave him to further his training. Naruto then voiced the question of whether or not to eat breakfast at his sensei's altar. In an eerie display of advice, the unopened cup of rare flavor instant ramen in his sensei's altar dropped to the floor, and rolled over to his knee. Naruto looked at the cup ramen and lifted it up. Sensing that this was the answer, Naruto nodded at his sensei's portrait. Saying a prayer of goodbye and promising to visit again tomorrow, he then walked over to where his new backpack and training gear lay.

Naruto then systematically took out the training gear and aids. Pulling out several repaired scroll racks of different sizes from a storage box, he then pressed the seals on the somewhat large scroll to separate it into the different scrolls, which he then laid on the scroll racks. The scrolls containing the Kodachi and the Ninja-to were put in a separate rack. He then picked up the scroll of Tai chi, basic knife drills, the knife and tanto fighting style that Naruto practiced with Iruka, and meditation exercises. Naruto then took out the scroll of the 'Futae no Kiwami' and placed it on the special scroll rack, along with the Kodachi and Ninja-to. He then randomly put the other scrolls in the racks, planning to organize them later.

He then picked up two black bags, which had 'gravity bands' written on one side. Placing one bag in the storage box, he opened the other bag's zip lock; different weight bands in the color of peach greeted his gaze, along with an instruction manual. All of the bands had a weird script written in their middle.

Naruto then shed his clothes and put them on. The different weight bands were of one size, but labeled to be worn in the designated part of the body, which adjusted accordingly to his body's size. The kanji for forehead, middle-head, neck, upper shoulders, upper arm, lower arm, wrist, mid-hand, chest, thorax, lower thorax, abdominal, waist, inner thighs, mid-thighs, knees, legs, ankles, and mid-feet were labeled precisely.

After Naruto put the weight bands on, a seal formed on his left upper-middle wrist. Picking up the instruction manual, he then figured that this was the control seal. A registration process was apparently required for the gravity weight bands. It involved covering the seal with blood, thus activating it. After covering the whole seal with his blood, a voice emanated from the weight bands. An energetic female voice greeted him, full of life and happiness. Naruto grinned as he listened at the voice.

"_Ohayou Gozaimasu! As of right now, the time is 6:25 AM! Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! Watashi wa Kurosaki Orihime desu! Yoroshiku onegai shimasu! I thank you for buying the Kurosaki gravity weight band system, version 212621131119-14118212015! Now, please do not be annoyed or aggravated by my voice, as you can change it to my husband's voice if you would prefer it. _

_After signing the seal in your own blood, the weight bands are activated and can now be increased individually for specific training regimens, or increased all at once for total body training. You can also access the various options by placing the right index and middle fingers to the seal and closing your eyes. A full menu of options will be presented to your mind in virtual scroll form. That is all the instructions for now. Please enjoy the Kurosaki weight bands and give us some encouraging feedback! Arigatou Gozaimashita for choosing the Kurosaki brand of training weights!"_

Naruto smiled as he read the beginnings of the manual. He then formed the monkey seal, and the weights shifted to match his skin color, forming the rat seal resulted in the gravity bands sinking under his skin. Returning to the contents of the backpack, he then pulled out a book called 'memoirs of a Shinobi: a deep analysis of what shinobi encounter in their daily lives and missions, by Umino Iruka.' He then pulled out a book about practical tactics and planning, a book about Shogi, and GO, and the western version of Shogi, called Chess, and a book of meditation exercises.

He then pulled out a dozen utility pouches, which had a special seal that increased the capacity of the pouches to ten times than normal, five pairs of shuriken and kunai holsters, and a large spool of all-purpose ninja steel string, in standard size, thickness, and cutting ability. He then grabbed the tanto, combat knife, and their holsters, which he slung over his shoulder.

All of the utility pouches also had a special honing stone and sharpening stone in a small bag, so he can re-sharpen his blades if they turn dull. Spying two pouches on the side of the bag, Naruto unzipped one pouch to reveal twelve pairs of gloves with metal plates on the back of the gloves, five pairs were in a black color, while the other five were in red, blue, white, gray, and brown color. The black gloves had the sigil of Konoha engraved in them, while the colored gloves had Naruto's spiral engraved on them.

There were also two pairs of chakra-focusing gloves, according to Iruka's note that points them out as special gloves. One pair was engraved with the leaf sigil, while the other pair was engraved with a spiral sigil. Naruto decided to wear the black chakra-focusing gloves with the spiral sigil. He then spied a very small scroll that, when he opened it, produced a Shogi, GO, and Chessboard. Putting them in a table beside the altar, he opened at last the last pouch of the bag.

The pouch revealed a long-distance headset communicator, and a box containing a music player with an almost complete database of music, it was currently set in the Japanese regional setting, and it can be played with the ear buds and headset that were in the box, or with the headset communicator. Strangely enough, the player and headset communicator were either independently powered with a mysterious inexhaustible energy source, or powered with your own chakra. The pouch also yielded a high-powered, twenty mega-pixels, long distance, dual-action, hybrid still and video digital camera, which had a power source just like the audio player, and communicator.

The pouch also produced a watchcase; containing an all-weather, all-altitude, all-depths, all-temperature, all situations, all proof, and infinitely-powered pocket watch, which Naruto readily wore underneath his vest, along with a ceramic-titanium chain that came with it. He then decided to take the camera, and to try the other devices later. He left the other devices inside a special closet in the room. Naruto then climbed out and resealed his 'secret room' with a lock seal and a specially designed key, which was synchronized to only respond to his chakra.

Returning to his room, he then strapped the tanto, combat knife, and their holsters to their respective places. After bandaging the places where he had exposed skin in black bandages, and adjusting his hitai-ate to be a bandana so that it covers his bright hair completely, Naruto proceeded to cook himself a big breakfast, composed of seven bags of instant ramen and half a carton of milk.

After the breakfast, he locked his apartment in the same way that he had locked the secret room. Looking at his pocket watch, he realized he only had ten minutes left. With an extra burst of speed, he dashed to training grounds nine while adjusting his new chakra-focusing gloves.

An hour earlier…

Iruka arrived on the academy grounds at six am in the morning; as he entered the sensei's offices in the academy, the Chuunin senseis Isamu and Suzume approached him, and proceeded to recount the events during the last hours of the academy yesterday. As he listened to the misfortunes his top three students, his inner mind was tickled raw by the latest misfortunes of what class 105 had dubbed 'The Annoying Trio'. Inner laughter filled his mind, which was filled with nervousness for his most excellent student an hour ago. Laughter, smirks, snorts, and chuckles of amusement were kept in check from his colleagues.

He nodded at specific points of their story, and when they hinted that Naruto was behind all the pranks, Iruka glared at them, hard, and with a small growl on his voice, told them that Naruto was with him and the Hokage all day. He told them that Naruto never left their sight until well after eleven pm, while the academy's dismissal period was five pm. Iruka then proceeded to spend fifteen minutes of his time lecturing the two about making sure their accusations were truth, and not fiction.

Iruka then shamed the two by words. Instead of pointing fingers and blaming the usual suspect, they should have paid more attention to the classes; he then added that, even if Naruto wasn't around anymore, it doesn't mean that they can slack off on their work. He then reminded them of their colleague-turned-traitor, Ashiya Mizuki, who was now spending a week with the infamous torture expert and all around sadist Morino Ibiki, in the ANBU incarceration facility, and how spreading false accusations can land them in said same facility, if Naruto were to dispute their claims and be found innocent. Iruka then turned around and headed over to his desk, acknowledging Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke's one-week suspension with a wave of acknowledgement and dismissal.

Suzume and Isamu hung their heads in shame, as they went back to their desks.

Being corrected and scolded by Umino Iruka wasn't the high point of their day.

Also…being wrong about their 'usual suspect' was a blow to their ego; shattering their mindsets that teachers were infallible and did not make mistakes.

It's funny how some ninjas fall prey to false assumptions, often times ending a career, or a life.

On a side note, three bed-ridden eleven year-olds sneezed loudly, and muttered someone's name inaudibly, along with a curse.

"Naruto…" 

Once again, our favorite blonde pulled up a newly laundered hankie to his nose, Naruto was getting used to these regular bouts of sneezing fits, figuring out that an early graduate was apparently big news to some people.

As Naruto looked at his watch, he discerned a pattern on top of the cover, it was a spiral with the repetition of Naruto's full name in his own script. It made his day even brighter, and sent a silent prayer to kami-sama for Iruka's constant guidance and generosity. Determined more than ever to make his ninja academy sensei proud, he put more speed in his legs and ran faster to the training grounds.

On training grounds nine, three people were waiting. One was a boy of about 154.1 cm in height, he was wearing a white jacket with a thick, and high collar that covered his neck, and a part of his chin, he wore traditional Shinobi pants that reached just above his knees, along with the standard Shinobi sandals, his right leg, arms, and hands were bandaged. The boy, called Hyuuga Neji, had pupil-less eyes of the blood limit called 'Byakugan', which all Hyuuga acquired from birth. Unbeknownst to the other two in the clearing, a curse seal lies covered amidst the bandages, pilot cap, and the hitai-ate on his forehead. He was currently meditating as he waited for his other teammate and sensei to arrive.

The other boy was about 155.1 cm in height, he was wearing a white undershirt with long and loose sleeves, along with a forest-green Chinese style, long-sleeved jacket with light green trim, which was opened fully and seemed to conform to his undershirt. He was also wearing matching pants of the same style and color. He wore his hitai-ate the traditional way on his forehead. He seems to be fidgeting every few minutes, looking in every direction, as if anticipating someone to appear through the trees, or the entrance of the clearing. Rock Lee was waiting for his newfound friend in spirits, Naruto. He was also waiting for the arrival of his sensei, Maito Gai, to prove that he can be a ninja without using Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.

The lone girl of the group was fingering her kunai and shuriken holsters with anticipation, opening and closing the clasp holding her weapons, as well as fiddling with the scrolls hidden in her utility pouch. She was about 152.3 cm in height, her brown hair done in the traditional Chinese style, termed as 'odango', which was made up of two small buns, she was wearing the traditional Shinobi pants, which ended just above her ankles. She also was wearing a Chinese style sleeveless top, in peach plum colors. Kirimai Tenten was getting more and more antsy with every minute that passed by, and hoped that his sensei and his other teammate would arrive already, so that they can pass this test and finally do missions as genins of the leaf.

The three then heard the soft footfalls of someone, and turned in unison to the direction of the sounds, they then saw a boy, clad in all-black gear, with the exception of the royal blue cloth on his head. He was wearing his hitai-ate like a bandana, covering the color of his hair. The boy wore a black muscle shirt, pants, and vest. Two pairs of kunai and shuriken holsters were strapped to his left and right outer thighs. Strapped on his right outer thigh, in front of the kunai holster, was a well-designed tanto. And on the back of the boy's upper waist was a combat knife, strapped onto a separate belt, as the belt on the pants held two utility pouches. Black bandages completed the ensemble, making Naruto look more like a fearsome opponent, instead of the goofball that he normally was. He waved to his fellow graduates as he approached them.

"Ohayou Lee, Tenten-san, Neji-san, anou…I'm not late for the exam, right?" Naruto greeted them as he stopped in front of Lee, who greeted him energetically. Tenten just waved at him, while Neji just grunted. "Ohayou gozaimasu Naruto-kun! You're just in time for our exam, Gai-sensei is still not here at the moment." Naruto opened his vest and took out his new watch, hidden in a secret pocket on the underside of the vest.

He then breathed in relief as he read the time on the watch, which also had a digital display; it was just six fifty-five in the morning. Closing his watch and putting it back in his vest pocket, he then decided to discuss the exam that they were going to take. "So…do we have any idea what Gai-sensei's exam will be?" Lee decided to answer his question, as he has had more contact with Gai than any of his teammates.

"I believe Gai-sensei will make us undergo an exam to test our initial abilities, although he is a Taijutsu specialist, he will also allow us to use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, as he can also use them in battle." Lee nodded to himself as he thought of Gai's attitude and what his habits were when they met inside and outside of the academy several times. The three other genin-hopefuls nodded their heads and contemplated their strategies and moves for the upcoming exam.

Team Nine's musings, especially Lee's, were broken by a voice that boomed throughout the clearing.

"How clever, Lee! You actually remember Gai-sensei's teachings, even though he hasn't visited you for a year and a half until you met him again! You are truly a person worthy to be a disciple of his!"

Naruto then turned to the direction of the voice's source; the quartet then approached the direction where it was coming from. A green colored summon came into view, the hard shell formed a pattern of summoning scripts, it's beak-like mouth was closed in stern contemplation, the stubbed head was nodding at them to come closer, with four legs that were meant for either swimming in water, or walking on land, were planted firmly on the grassy landscape. The turtle or tortoise summon then spoke.

"You four, are you Gai's potential genins? Are you ready for his exam? Are you ready to give everything you've got in this exam? As in one hundred and twenty percent of your abilities?" At his questions, the genin-to-be nodded. The summon paused for dramatic effect…

"Then here comes Gai-sensei!"

There was a puff of ninja smoke, revealing Gai as he stood on top of the summoned animal's shell, two fingers of one hand were encircling his right eye with his arm bent in an angle, while his other arm was outstretched and his hand bent, parallel to the ground. His legs were slightly bent for a balancing effect on the shell. If a fairly busty and sexy female struck the same pose like Gai, it would look sexy on her.

This wasn't the case for Gai, though.

Tenten and Neji were already creeped out by his summon. And their sensei's pose didn't help to alleviate matters. Naruto was just surprised, but the creepiness was all but lost to our blonde genin-to-be, what he was creeping out for was the way in which Gai's caterpillar-like eyebrows moved. Lee meanwhile, was smiling wide. Posed in his sensei's 'nice guy pose'; he greeted Gai a good morning. "Ohayou gozaimasu! Maito-sama!" Gai turned to look at Lee, and nodded. Dismissing his summon, which was named Toriyama and was really a turtle-tortoise hybrid, he walked over to where his students were standing and greeted them.

"Good morning my students! It is now seven am, which means it is now time for me to announce that your genin survival exam will start in a few minutes. I will now discuss the mechanics of the exam!"

Gai then produced nine circles from his vest pocket, which were colored white, and four circles, colored red, brown, blue, and green. The circles were approximately proportionate to the size of a human heart. Gai then put the white circles in different locations on his body. The white circles were put on his head, upper neck, left chest, spine, lower left stomach, left lower arm, right upper arm, right lower leg, and left upper thigh. Gai then threw the colored circles to the chests of the genins. Naruto got red, Lee got green, Tenten got blue, and Neji got brown. Gai then explained what the circles were for.

"Well then, these are the mechanics of the exam, the circles on your chests represent your youthful spirit! If I hit you directly where the circles are, they will fall off, change to the color white, and will stick to a beautiful body part of mine, signaling that you fail the exam. Some of the white circles on my body are covering some of my vital points, the circles on my body will only fall off if it takes a decent hit and turns to your passionate color, which in turn sticks to your youthful body.

The object of this exam is to have four circles in your color by lunchtime, or before I signal the end of this exam. Having five or more circles isn't necessary; you just need three more circles to make four, as you have one already!

The exam will end when I deem that it has ended. There is also no time limit, but we will pause the exam at lunchtime when the alarm rings once. The three examinees with the most number of circles at lunchtime will be permitted to eat one of the four lunch boxes that my loving and thoughtful Okaa-sama has prepared for us, while one of you will be left with nothing to eat! After thirty minutes, the second alarm will signal the resume of my exam.

The ones who have four circles by the end of this test will pass the exam. One person will be left with just one circle and will have to go back to the academy. Now, once you get a circle, expect me to try everything to get it back from you, I will not hold back anything from you! Also, there will be no fighting amongst the four of you for circles, or you will be failed instantly. Use anything you want to use to try and hit me. You must come at me with everything you have got! No hesitation, no fear, no indecisiveness is needed in this exam."

At those words, the four genin tensed, and took their fighting stances. They then looked at Gai, who was placing an alarm clock on a tree trunk. The alarm clock was special, as it had a secondary alarm hand that was meant to ring a second time when the sleeping owner pressed the snooze button, it was meant for the lazy-ass Shinobi who had an important mission. It was noted however, that a certain gray-silver haired Shinobi's infamous punctual lateness, was no match for the alarm clock's waking ability.

After setting the alarms, Gai nodded at the four genin. "Remember the mechanics of the exam. Now, are all of you ready?" Seeing the nods of the four, Gai pushed the primary and secondary snooze buttons of the clock to the 'ON' position, and shouted.

"Hajime!"

Four blurs were seen separating and disappearing through the bushes, undergrowth, and the tall branches that were part of training grounds nine. Gai closed his eyes and concentrated his chakra sense to detect his future students. Gai felt three chakra signatures some distance away from him, while he felt a signature, which was nearing his location. Gai was proud of his 'examinees' as he mused.

"_Very good, they have managed to hide their chakra signatures at the level that I thought it would be, but not well enough to not be detected by the Proud Green…"_ As he planned his next course of action, a voice reached his ears, and derailed his train of thought.

"Gai-sensei! Let me prove my insistence to be a ninja of the leaf!"

Rock Lee had stepped out of the underbrush that he was hiding in, and had eased into the basic Taijutsu stance that was taught at the academy. Gai sighed at this development, and shook his head.

"Lee, it wounds my youthful spirit to see you so soon after the start of this exam. What are you planning now that your cover has been blown?"

Tenten was hiding in one of the branches of a tree some distance off the clearing where Gai and Lee were, but she can still see their forms in the distance. The accuracy, deadliness, and the natural skills of the Kirimai family were based on their eyes, coupled with their unique and highly awakened senses, which were better than regular people's.

The Kirimai family did not announce to the general populace of Konohagakure that their eyes have an almost perfect vision. And a heightened-more-than-normal senses, in the normal, none-bloodline or none-blood limit-aided eyes and senses category. Tenten now tracked Gai and Lee's movements through her eyes and senses. Giving her an unobstructed view on the rising tensions of the upcoming battle.

Tenten was in fact, somewhat worried for Lee, stealth was a factor that the academy senseis frequently drilled into their skulls, a lesson which the senseis insisted to instill in their brains as they taught the students. Lee had broken the rules of stealth, concealment, and enemy engagement. All academy senseis sternly beat the rules of ninja concealment into their heads and brains, practically memorizing them in their sleep and free time. The price for coming out of concealment in a mission often causes dire consequences, for a Ninja, and his teammates.

Neji was a long way from the clearing, hiding on top of a tree, where he had the advantage of tracking his sensei and his teammate. The Byakugan really had an advantage at these kinds of situations. As he tracked the two, he was already planning an attack strategy that would yield the greatest amount of success for him to pass the exam. The only thing to do now is for him to wait, and see if any of his other teammates would attack Gai. He was anticipating Lee's movements to be deliberate and careless, and he was right.

"That fool, I told him to quit before he bit off more than he could chew, it is not in his fate to be a ninja. No matter, he will fail this exam and I will pass it, as my fate does not lie in failing this exam, it is my destiny to be a genin this year."

Naruto however, was the only one who was seriously worried for Lee. Naruto was hiding in between Neji and Tenten's hiding place, under the lush bushes in the clearing. He knew that his newfound friend was lacking in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, and the Taijutsu the academy taught was only average, bare essentials, resolving that the Jounin senseis will teach them more powerful Taijutsu styles. Naruto then recalled the hints that Iruka gave him in his letter.

_A whole does not function without its parts; it also cannot function with just one part._

_There is no "I" in the word "Team"._

Naruto scrunched up his face in thorough thought, and then shook his head. Even though he hated to admit it, he was not the sharpest kunai in the holster; cursing himself for not paying attention to the academy, he vowed to re-study five years worth of academy lessons during the next year. That was his long-term goal, for now however, he had to save Lee from the predicament that was about to bite his ass. Naruto then sent a silent prayer for Iruka's forgiveness, and rushed to Lee's location to support his new friend. He had decided, and vowed, to prevent Lee's failure from the genin survival exam. Even if there was a sixty-six percent chance that he will fail said exam because of his insolence.

"I was never a thinker anyway, it's not my strong point. I'm a 'do it and worry about the consequences later.' person since I started pranking everyone who has hated me. If I do pass this exam, my attitude and way of doing things needs to change, or I won't live through my first D-rank mission." 

Neji had noticed a movement as Lee charged Gai, the genin-to-be seeming to have the gall to engage Gai in a Taijutsu match. Neji thought it was futile to fight a special Jounin in his own specialty, he then decided that it was Lee's destiny to fail this exam, because fate picked the wrong time for Lee to move in and fight Gai. He was then surprised as Naruto revealed himself, and began a short conversation with the future 'Beautiful Azure Beast'.

Tenten however, failed to notice an incoming black blur that was Naruto until the last second, rushing in harm's way. Naruto planned to protect Lee from failure, even if he was to become a failure himself. With her almost perfect vision, she watched the turn of events that Neji did not predict. Tenten then prayed that Naruto would turn the situation around as she watched from her perch.

As Lee began his charge, a black blur cut his path to Gai. Standing in his full height, Naruto eyed Lee and Gai with a piercing stare. His eyes then turned to Lee, who seemed angry at his interruption.

"Hey Lee, why did you blow your cover and charged straight to Gai-sensei? Don't you realize that what you just did violates the academy rules of stealth?" Naruto berated Lee, as Gai listened in on their conversation. As Naruto's back was turned towards him, Gai did not see the wink Naruto bestowed upon his new friend. But Lee just ignored his signals, and instead began to berate Naruto back.

"W-What are you doing here then, Naruto-kun? You have broken the rules of stealth as well! So do not lecture me on what to do or not to do! I do not need a prankster to lecture me on rules and morals! So get out of my way!"

Lee shifted to the left, and began to charge towards Gai anew. Naruto couldn't do anything but sigh, and follow Lee's movements, ignoring the barb about his prankster career, as he was proud of his legacy. Besides that, he had no breath to waste on a barb that was spoken out of spite.

"_For a guy who doesn't know shit about Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, his movements are fast enough that I almost can't keep up. Gai-sensei's appraisal of Lee was right…"_ Naruto mused as he cut Lee's path again. Naruto's movements were starting to frustrate the cartoon-eyed, genin-hopeful. Lee then decided to yell at Naruto for his interference with his desire to be a genin.

"What are you doing? Don't you realize you're ruining my chances of becoming genin? Now move out of the way before I really get mad!" Lee's temper snapped as he remembered his saddest days in the academy, the moments that he was belittled, taunted, and bullied. Just for the fact that he couldn't mold chakra, and that when the chakra molding and jutsu lessons began, he was always left in the dust, even if he listened intently to the teacher's instructions, and followed it to the letter.

As Lee sped towards Gai, Naruto saw the frustration, pain, and pleading in Lee's eyes, as well as the pure determination of his comrade in arms to prove his worth as a ninja of the leaf. He then realized that Lee's classmates hated him, just because of his inability to mold chakra, and treated as an outcast. Which somewhat mirrored his life at the academy. They were literally on the same boat, which sailed in two different waters.

Sighing in defeat and assent, he stepped aside for Lee to pass. But as Lee passed by, he once again voiced the hints that Iruka wrote for him in his mind. He then decided to contemplate the clues as he followed Lee, if only to support him and back him up, if he ever went down or was knocked out. Gai analyzed the movements of the two, his musings going a mile in milliseconds.

"_Ah, it seems that Iruka-kun's info about Naruto-kun was true, if there is one genin-hopeful in this team that can be passed as an official genin, then it would be him! I think he is starting to realize the importance of teamwork, but I think he hasn't fully grasped it yet. Lee-kun is a hotheaded and frustrated youth, full of passionate energy! I believe discipline will have to be imposed on the two. Hmmn, more time for musings later, here comes Lee-kun…"_

Lee was a slight blur as he sped towards Gai, arms stretched way back for an aerodynamic boost. Stopping three steps towards Gai, he reared back a punch, Naruto was several steps behind, and his view of the skirmish at hand was advantageous for him, he then watched as Lee fought Gai with the basic academy Taijutsu style. Naruto also noticed that Gai was holding back most of his power in the kicks and punches he was throwing at Lee, who blocked, parried, and counter-attacked in return. Naruto was in awe at Lee's seemingly unnatural talent in Taijutsu. The still hidden genin in the clearing were also watching with baited breath at the future sensei and deshi's 'dance'.

Lee then aimed a roundhouse kick at Gai's side, the Jounin reacted quickly and blocked it with an arm; Gai took hold of Lee's leg and swung him around, stopping to throw him at ten turns. Although he wasn't expecting a black blur intercepting Lee's impromptu flight, he smiled at Naruto's support for his teammate. Gai halted the spar as he allowed Lee a moment to recover. As Naruto and Lee landed, the blonde checked the older academy graduate for injuries. Lee then shakily stood up, with Naruto just behind him. Naruto then hissed at Lee's ear. "Don't let your guard down even for a minute, remember that he's a Taijutsu specialist, he's been kicking ass even before we were born!"

Lee nodded at Naruto, and said a quiet nod of thanks, which Naruto returned with a salute. Lee then stepped forward, but hesitated. He then smiled sheepishly at the black-clad, had-to-be-genin. "Anou…Naruto-kun, would you watch my back? But…don't get in the way of my attack range. Ok?" Naruto was taken aback by the simple questions, but nodded in silence as he grinned. Lee smiled and charged the Jounin with his second wind. Gai was impressed with Naruto's gesture, and decided to take the two genin seriously.

Tenten watched as Lee became a blur again, but this time Naruto was backing Lee up as he fought Gai. The special Jounin's face then lost its youthful exuberance, and shifted into a warrior's façade. The special Jounin was half-thinking, half-fighting as he pondered the right words to speak at this particular moment, as he parried blows from both Naruto and Lee. Lee then looked at his blonde comrade, who was also looking at him. At Lee's nod and signal, they charged Gai head on. But Gai seemed prepared. He then reared his body in an advanced Taijutsu stance, and spoke at the charging examinees.

"I admire your youthful exuberance my dear student-wannabes, but this test is also a lesson in itself. First lesson: Taijutsu; will be for the both of you! Here is a Taijutsu maneuver that I learned when I was starting as a genin! Konoha Daburuu Senpuu! –Leaf Double Whirlwind-!"

Gai then shifted stances and kicked Naruto violently in the chin, making him sail up in the air. Lee used the moment that Gai let his guard down, or so he thought, and reared his leg to release a kick of his own. The Jounin just dodged under Lee's ineffective kick, and released another high-powered kick to Lee's cheek, sending him on another unplanned flight opposite of Naruto's direction. Gai was planning to hit Naruto and Lee's chest circles and get them out of the exam with the Kage Konoha Buyou –Shadow Leaf Dance-. His plan however was interrupted, as he felt an attacker charging towards his blind side. As well as the incoming rain of steel, made up of kunai and shuriken, advancing at him from above.

Naruto's brain signals were jumbled as he was sailing towards a tree, try as he might, his mind was fuzzy as he pushed his neurons to form a coherent thought. The only coherent thought from his brain was 'pain, intense pain'.

"Itte! Head's hurting so bad…Ano sa, did anyone get the ninja license number of that Special Jounin who kicked my ass?" 

Interestingly, he was startled to an almost coherent thought, when a malevolent voice answered him inside his own mind.

"_**Wait a minute…Ah, no…I didn't get that ninja's number. Get over it, you weakling! This is no time to laze around and decide if you have wings or not! Now get going, GAKI!"**_

That sentence restarted Naruto's brain, just as he was mere feet away from 'communing with the trees'. Deciding that he wasn't a tree-hugger by nature, Naruto released the clasp holding his titanium knife, and unsheathed it. Holding the knife handle between his teeth, he formed a set of hand seals, and called forth the technique in his mind.

"Shimmering Veil!" 

Naruto was grinning widely as the light around him seemed to bend and reshape itself in a radius of three and a half meters, which covered the first part of his escape and recovery plan. He then called forth another technique, which was starting to become second nature to him.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" 

Naruto made three shadow clones in mid-air. One clone took his place in mid-freefall, while the other two grabbed his arms and tossed him to where Lee's unplanned 'flight plan' was taking him. He then made another Kage-Bunshin and ordered it to Henge in Lee's image. Looking down at the escalating skirmish on the clearing below, he reached into his utility pouch and pulled out a length of steel wire.

He then tied a kunai to one end of the wire, and threw it on the high branch of a tree, which was hidden from the skirmish happening below. Grabbing Lee's unconscious form, he swung on the steel wire and landed on his intended 'runway' with the knife serving as his impromptu 'landing gear', pulling the kunai and knife out of their embedded positions, he watched the chaotic display which his Kage-Bunshin were causing to Neji and Tenten's spar with Gai. Taking flash-less pictures with his recently acquired, digital camera.

He then made another Kage Bunshin, and ordered the clone to carry Lee some distance away from the ongoing skirmish. Naruto dropped down to the forest floor and underbrush via branch skipping; he then removed his hitai-ate and waited to signal Tenten, Neji, or both of them. A patch of sunlight was perfectly positioned in front of his face as he played his first 'waiting game'.

Fifteen minutes earlier…Tenten's view

Tenten skipped from tree to tree as he followed Gai's Taijutsu, which was effectively holding Lee and Naruto's attempts splendidly well. She then waited for the opportune time to strike. As Naruto and Lee went flying with the Konoha Double Whirlwind maneuver, she grinned and pulled a minor summoning scroll from her pouch. She then jumped high, poured her chakra onto the summoning scripts on the scroll, and opened it to rain steel on his sensei. She then called forth the scroll's jutsu

"Minor summon: Metal Shower, Piercing Death!" 

Fifteen minutes earlier…Neji's view

Neji watched the skirmish between Gai and Lee, with Naruto acting as back-up support with his Byakugan. He never thought that Lee would be able to escape his fate of being a failure. With just a simple gesture of support, the blonde graduate that was Uzumaki Naruto had intervened in Lee's destiny, and turned the wheels of fate around to save his friend. As they once again entered the fray of battle, Neji clenched his fists at the seemingly simple way Naruto changed someone's fate-line. Dropping down on the forest floor, he proceeded to dash to Gai's blind side, where a normal person's blind spot was supposed to be. His Byakugan flared to life as he ran, hands eased into the traditional Jyuuken Ryu stance of the Hyuuga clan.

Now returning to normal viewpoint.

Gai grinned again as he dodged the steel rain that Tenten was showering on him. He was glad that he was assigned to a kunoichi that had an abundance of chakra in her system. This will make her on par with the testosterone-driven members of their group, if they manage to pass. The fierce look she was giving Gai inspired him to continue the lesson. He then managed to completely dodge Neji's initial strike from behind, and give back a strong kick.

Neji wasn't prepared for the blow and only managed a half block. The force impact of Gai's weight-aided kick pushed Neji a good twenty feet away from the skirmish. Neji then decided to try another approach as he saw Tenten making another attempt to hit Gai; he then winced slightly as he felt the bruises on his arms, which were shaking with the shock of impact. The simple kick Gai gave him had effectively sent him out of commission for the next few minutes. Neji then backed out of the battle, intending to rush back in as soon as the pain left his arms.

Whatever Gai was wearing under those orange leg warmers, it was very heavy and it made you go "Ugh-Oomph!" if it _ever _hit you. Which was bad for your survival.

Tenten then dropped down to the forest floor via tree descent, and drew six kunai in each hand. She then charged at Gai with the intention of making him into a human pincushion. That was when Naruto and Lee landed in front of the fray. Gai, and Tenten blinked at the sudden appearance of the two boys. Naruto scrunched up his face in a brief thought, and then grinned while speaking.

"Lee, why don't we join this battle? You agree with me?" Naruto then turned to his somewhat fellow dusty and bruised companion, which struck his nice guy pose.

"Of course Naruto-kun! We must prove to Gai-sensei that the maneuver he 'demonstrated' to us won't keep us down for long! Our youthful spirit will prevail in the end! Now then…shall we dance?" 'Lee' then nodded his head in question to his companion. 'Naruto' smiled his most wicked prankster grin, and pulled out a smoke bomb, which Naruto handed to him after he was created. 'Naruto' then ignited the bomb as two other Shadow Clones landed beside him, turning into a Henge of Neji and Tenten.

"LET'S DANCE!"

Gai coughed slightly at the smoke that the bomb produced, this particular brand of smoke bombs irritated his youthful lungs. He then picked a peripheral open spot in the clearing to attempt an escape. As the Jounin got out of the smoke cloud, a Neji and two Tentens blocked his path. Along with 'Naruto' and 'Lee'. Gai's face turned more serious as he recalled Naruto's dossier info.

"_Impressive! He can make Kage Bunshins at this early age, and make them perform simple academy jutsus like Henge. A B-Class Jounin level Kinjutsu, and Naruto-kun's info says that he can make a hundred of them at once! This year's examinees are very talented indeed! And I had thought that it was just an encoding error on his data sheet! I will not underestimate you again, Naruto-kun!"_

'Naruto' and 'Lee' Dashed forward, along with 'Neji' in the forefront of the attack formation. Gai's exuberant face was back again as he dodged blows from all three of them. Back-flipping out of the three boys' Taijutsu range, he formed the seals for a fire jutsu.

I admire your fiery spirit and determination my youthful 'genin-hopefuls' but it's time for you to 'disappear'! Second lesson; Ninjutsu! Katon: Housenka no jutsu! –Fire Element: Mythical phoenix fire flower technique-!" Gai then breathed out fireballs at the three 'genin-hopefuls'. 'Naruto' 'Neji' and 'Lee' had no time to dodge as were hit with three fireballs each, and promptly poofed out of existence in a cloud of ninja smoke.

The real Neji was surprised at the seemingly advanced bunshins that he had seen as he hid behind a tree. Tenten then turned and looked at her 'look-alike' "Naruto created you, right?" 'Tenten' nodded and answered back. "Hai, Tenten-san, I am a Kage-Bunshin, a solid clone that can also fight! Demo…one hit will make me disappear." Tenten then nodded and turned to look at Gai, "Before you disappear, back me up and help me get a circle." 'Tenten' saluted her and tensed to fight as well. "Ossu!" the Tentens grinned as they charged in sync.

As the two Tenten dashed towards him, Gai launched into another set of hand seals, and crouched down low to avoid the girls' kunai that were thrown at him. While holding the seal, he shifted to his next Taijutsu maneuver.

"_Konoha Daburuu Reppu!"_ –Leaf Double Gale-!

Gai then performed a double spinning sweep kick at the two Tenten, and one of them disappeared in a puff of smoke, while the other recovered on her feet, albeit shakily. Gai was instantly beside her, and kicked her on the shoulder, throwing her off balance as she flew parallel to the ground, as she was flying lower and closer to the ground in semi-shock, Gai followed her with inhuman speed, and tapped her neck, while shouting at her.

"Here is the Third lesson! Genjutsu: Nemuri no Hane no jutsu! –Illusion arts! Feathery Sleep technique-!" 

Gai then caught Tenten and laid her down on the grassy forest clearing, deciding that Tenten will be out of the exam by hitting her chest circle and adding it to his own. This was the time Neji decided to retaliate for the rather aggravating and insulting injury to his ego, and the now phantom pain that the special Jounin inflicted on him. Gai nodded with exuberance once more as he dodged Neji's seemingly glancing blows. Their movements took them further into the forest canopy. Gai was again lost in thought in mid-fight. Neji was hard pressed to keep up his movements so as to not let any of Gai's punches and kicks to pierce his defense.

"_The data sheet was right about Neji-kun, his Taijutsu is flawless in the Jyuuken style, but his judgments are still clouded by the veil of Fate and Destiny, I have learned personally that it is idiotic to rely on both of them for your guidance in life, I am also powerless to influence his decision. So I will just have to leave it to his teammates to induce a change in his viewpoint of life, or he will spiral down into empty nothingness…"_

Neither of the current combatants noticed a forest-colored, larger-than-the average fox-humanoid lift up an unconscious, odango-styled, brown-haired girl, which then disappeared amongst the shadows of the forest. The forest-green, fox-humanoid-thingus handed the kunoichi to a black-clad genin, saluted, then poofed into nothingness.

Naruto grinned as he looked at his makeshift 'campsite', and proceeded to boil water for cup ramen. After three hours of waiting, fighting, and being "shaken, not stirred" by a certain green-spandex-leotard-sporting, orange-leg-warmers wearing, bowl-cut haired, super-fuzzy eye-browed, special Jounin's Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu, they deserved a slight reprieve. He mused as he waited for the camp-size kettle to boil.

"_Hey, we did our best. Let him give us some slack…"_

"_Well, except for HIM."_

"_That brooding, arrogant, white-eyed, humanoid-thingus with a stick in his ass can wait until he gets his ass royally owned by Gai-sensei, before the team went to save his too-proud, and too-arrogant behind."_

Now minna…we all know Neji's history…he was born into the Hyuuga Bunke, got the Bunke Juuin jutsu on his fourth birthday –A/N: As a birthday present no doubt, damn stuck up Hyuugas…- and lost his father when the cloud Shinobi tried to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress.

Things started to spiral downwards after that.

Neji then started spouting about faith and destiny, about how you can't escape the pre-ordained path that they had set out for you. And that the only thing constant about everyone's fate and destiny; was that every one of us would eventually DIE.

Keh, tell that to Orochimaru, and then he'll proceed to laugh his ass off on your face.

As the author was writing this part of the fic, Fate and Destiny has had enough of Neji's bashing of their abilities and decisions. They then decided to listen to the author today, and agreed with his notion that Neji needed to be taken down a peg or two. The author had been convincing Fate and Destiny to give THE Hyuuga Prodigy, his 'just desserts'.

And as the author of this fic, he will gladly oblige the two women, who had been kind and generous to him all throughout his life, with bashing the white-eyed pretty boy.

Fate, Destiny, and Aikuchi Shikaku, all laughed wickedly. With Fate and Destiny eagerly anticipating Hyuuga Neji's incoming 'divine 'intervention. What a happy day it is…

Heh heh…

As Maito Gai dodged Hyuuga Neji's glancing blows, he observed his immediate surroundings and nodded mentally. Gai then concluded that Neji had purposely fought him to this location. The trees in this part of the clearing were only a quarter of a century in age, thus the trees here were in close proximity with each other, leaving neither legroom, nor elbowroom for his particular style of Taijutsu.

Neji then eased out of his stance, and crossed his arms in arrogance. He then eyed Gai with his activated Byakugan, as if to intimidate Gai into passing him.

"Since you're an experienced Jounin, you must have figured out already why I brought you over here. I am nothing like Lee and 'that Naruto' kid. I will make sure that I will pass this survival exam, because it is in my fate and destiny to start my career as a ninja, starting this year. And neither you, nor my assigned teammates, will stand in my way."

In the author's writing room, Fate and Destiny rolled their eyes and snorted. They then added their thoughts to the writing process.

"BOOO! YOU SUCK HYUUGA NEJI!" 

Gai chuckled, and then laughed evilly…in a very, very rare moment of OOC-ness. He then turned an amused eye to his soon-to-be-student.

"Yare yare Neji-kun, are you still seething at the events of eight years ago?"

As the words 'eight years ago' left Gai's lips, Neji's memories flashed back to that time.

Flashback no Jutsu!

A four year old Neji; after receiving the cursed seal of the branch house, was standing face with his father, Hyuuga Hizashi.

"You have great potential my son…if only I had born you in the Hyuuga main house…."

"Otou-san?" Neji at that time; was clueless of his father's words.

"You're the latest Hyuuga prodigy in a hundred years, Neji. I now bless you with the powers, the prowess, and the abilities of the Main House.

Time shift no jutsu!

Four year-old Neji held on his father's sleeve as they slept on their bed, it was a few hours after the disastrous training session of Hinata, Neji, Hizashi, and Hiashi. Hiashi had activated the secret seal that activated the Bunke Juuin. As Neji looked at his father's sleeping form, resentment for the caged bird seal and the Hyuuga Main House had begun to form in his mind.

Time shift no jutsu!

"OTOU-SAN? OTOU-SAN! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU? OTOU-SAN!"

A still four year-old Hyuuga Neji was tugging at the pure white kimono of his father's lifeless body. Tears were cascading down his eyes as he tried to wake his father, to no avail. The other branch members had to restrain Neji as they covered Hizashi's corpse, which was to be surrendered to the cloud Shinobi waiting at the borders of fire country. As a crying Neji watched the branch members walk out with Hizashi's body, his hatred and loathing for the Main House grew more and more intense.

Flashback no jutsu, kai!

Neji's eyes automatically shifted to the Byakugan in rage. "What do you know about my father? What do you know about the true events of my father's death? Answer me!"

Gai just shook his head in reply, and then sighed. "I know that you are the one who has suffered the most when you lost your father, but he would not want you to hate the Hyuuga Main House like this. It is time for you to forgive and forget, Neji-kun. Hatred and loathing will get you nowhere in the long run. Your Fate and Destiny lie in your hands, do not throw it away with a false sense of peace and a fake feeling of closure."

Gai then puffed in ninja smoke. _"Kage Bunshin!"_ Neji exclaimed in his mind, as he ran. He then retraced his steps to the main clearing as he ran, intending to pass his survival exam and get answers out of Gai.

Meanwhile, Rock Lee finally returned to consciousness as he felt something damp on his cheek and forehead. He then smelled something good to eat, and because he didn't eat breakfast, his stomach growled loudly. A voice from above him chuckled as he removed the damp towels on Lee's forehead and cheek.

"Finally, I thought you'd never wake up! Listen, I think we're going to need everyone's cooperation…" Naruto's voice faded as he helped Lee up from his lying position. The simple movement made Lee dizzy, this made Naruto more worried.

"Daijoubu ka?" The blonde genin cocked his head questioningly at his friend. Lee however nodded at his friend's worried expression. "Uhn, daijoubu daio, demo…" That was the cue Lee's stomach was waiting for, as it then growled loudly. Lee blushed sheepishly as he covered his stomach. Naruto then nodded and handed two cups of piping hot, instant cup ramen at Lee, who accepted it gratefully.

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun!" He then motioned a 'thumbs up' sign to his comrade, said 'Itadakimasu!' and his prayers of thanks. And proceeded to eat after that. Naruto then looked at their lone female teammate, who was still unconscious. "I can't seem to get her to wake up Lee, how do we wake her?"

Lee stopped halfway in eating his first cup ramen, and went into his 'thinking mode' "Ah! She must be under a Genjutsu! Check her chakra flow, if it's flowing irregularly, she's definitely under a Genjutsu." "How?" was the simple question Naruto asked, "The simplest way to detect chakra flow irregularities, is to check the afflicted person's temperature, Naruto-kun." Lee concluded as he went back to eating his cup ramen. Naruto nodded and checked Tenten's temperature.

"She's a bit cold at the base of her neck, while the rest of her body is warm, what do I do now?" The blonde genin asked his teammate again. Lee nodded and pondered the answer, then brightened up.

"If she's cold or hot at the point of where the Genjutsu touched her, and the rest of the body is warmer or colder, then it's just a low-class to middle-class, or a middle bordering high-class Genjutsu. You just need to disrupt her chakra flow to return it back to normal." Lee then sated his stomach's hunger as he ate while he thought.

"Etou…the normal way is to use the 'Illusionary arts: dispel skill'. You have to mold chakra for the nezumi hand seal, say "Genjutsu: kai!" and then tap the person afflicted with the Genjutsu to interrupt it's effects on the body, and return their chakra flow to normal.

You can also use the dispel skill on yourself, if you feel that someone is casting a Genjutsu on you. The second technique is to disrupt the Genjutsu by forcefully ejecting chakra out of your body, breaking any nearby Genjutsu in your immediate area." Lee concluded, and then turned to Naruto, who was staring in dreamy-eyed mode at his teammate.

"Sugeee! You know so much of the academy's lessons, that is so cool Lee!" Rock Lee turned red in embarrassment, but swatted Naruto's praise away with a dismissal. "Ch-chigau, I guess I just paid more attention to the chakra molding and jutsu classes." Naruto then nodded at his teammate's answer. He then turned his attention to Tenten as Lee finished his 'brunch', forming the chakra moldings and hand seal for nezumi, or rat, he then attempted to dispel the Genjutsu on their brown-haired teammate.

"Genjutsu: kai!"

But Tenten did not wake up, even as Naruto tried and tried again to dispel the Genjutsu on his female teammate. After several more attempts, Lee stopped Naruto and grabbed his hand. "Matte, let's pause for a moment. I'm assuming that you don't have complete control of your chakra?" Naruto nodded sadly at Lee, who nodded thoughtfully.

"That's okay, but I think the second method won't be of much help here, you still need to use chakra for the exam. How about using a Kage Bunshin instead? I heard that it has a set amount of chakra, right?" Naruto then nodded and formed a Kage Bunshin, whom he then ordered to dispel the Genjutsu on Tenten.

Tenten woke up as soon as the shadow clone disappeared; the brunette yawning loudly and stretching like a cat. What Naruto didn't notice was that a droplet of blood just escaped his nose while he was watching Tenten get up. This was Tenten's stomach's cue to complain about not being filled at the usual morning hour. An embarrassed Tenten then accepted the two cups of ramen that Naruto prepared for her. He then wiped his nose absently as the blood was wiped inconspicuously on his sleeve.

Naruto then counted the ramen cups that were still unopened on his other utility pouch, and proceeded to make Tenten and Lee one more serving, which the two accepted with smiles. Naruto observed the two as they ate voraciously. He then imagined himself in Iruka's place, and that Lee or Tenten was himself as he ate bowl after bowl of ramen like there was no tomorrow, he laughed at his contrast vision, which Tenten and Lee looked at him with confused looks. "Just eat, I'm just seeing myself in your place."

Tenten then looked at her half-eaten ramen cup. "Ne Naruto, why are you not eating?" Lee then offered his cup ramen to his friend. "You can have my cup ramen if you want, Naruto-kun." Naruto then shook his head, and answered Tenten's question, intending to ease his teammates' apprehension to eat their cup ramen.

"Well, unlike you two, or three if Neji decided to follow Gai-sensei's orders; I ate breakfast before coming here, part of the reason was because I had been given a divine advice this morning. Another reason is that my brain doesn't function well enough if my stomach doesn't have anything to digest." The blonde genin-hopeful rubbed his head sheepishly as the other two smiled back at him. But sadness followed their smiles after a few minutes.

"We're going to fail…" Tenten then hung her head in defeat after she spoke, and Lee followed suit. "I don't want to go back to the academy…" Naruto then patted the shoulders of the two. "Don't worry, there's still an hour left before the timer for lunchtime rings. All we need to do is work together so that we can pass the exam." At the words 'work together', the two other genin-hopefuls looked up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"Iruka-sensei sent me a letter along with some of my new gear, in the letter that he wrote, he sent me hints so that I could pass the genin survival exam. I just figured it out as I was patting your shoulders."

"The words: _'A whole does not function without its parts; it also cannot function with just one part.'_ Means that, as individual 'parts' of the 'whole', we need to work together for the 'whole' to be 'complete'. That also explains why a 'whole' cannot function with only one 'part' moving by itself. While the phrase:_ 'There is no "I" in the word "Team".'_ Also hints us to work together, a 'Team' is also related to the words: "us" or "we". In those words, there is no letter "I", which is used by a single person.

Gai-sensei has also hinted us to work together for the common good of our team; our immediate goal is 'to pass'. But he confused us by making sure to tell us that only three people will pass, so that we will think hard to pass individually, and make mistakes in judgment. Sure, nine white circles will really mean that only three of us will 'pass'. But if there were only three of us, and not four, Gai-sensei would have six circles on his body. Gai-sensei is not watching how skilled we are in taking the circles away from him individually, but on how ready are we to work together as a team." Naruto finished as the two other genin-hopefuls brightened up. Naruto then paused and turned around, he then looked at Tenten and Lee with serious eyes.

"Every team must make a sacrifice, it is after all, for the common good of the team. I have decided to make the sacrifice, and 'fail'. There's no time left for arguments right now, so the matter is settled. Besides, I still have a year of academy left. I'll just treat this survival exam as fodder for my official genin survival exam. Let's hurry up now, we're still a team member short." Tenten and Lee nodded as they cleaned up and headed for the direction of Gai and Neji's chakra signatures.

Neji's Byakugan was fully activated as he searched for Gai's hiding place in the clearing. As he spotted the Jounin amongst a field of wildflowers, his eyes glinted on his upcoming triumph. It was his destiny as a member of the Hyuuga Bunke to pass this survival exam, and fate will not let anything interfere with his chances of becoming a strong Shinobi of the leaf.

Fate, Destiny, and the Author had different plans for him, of course. At least for this story's humor factor.

As Neji arrived at the natural flowerbeds on the outskirts of the training grounds, he found Gai kneeling in the middle of the largest flowerbed, seeming to be in prayer. Gai then stood up from his position, and disappeared in front of Neji's range of vision. Gai's words echoed throughout the forest.

"If you seek the truth, then you're going to have to find it for yourself. The answers have always been inside you."

Neji just shook his head, and shouted back at Gai's voice. "Don't mess with my head! I know the truth already, so just quit trying to change my way of dealing with things!" The Hyuuga prodigy growled as he continued to track Gai to another clearing in the training grounds.

Tenten, Lee, and Naruto hid in the bushes as Gai and Neji arrived, having been in the clearing while searching for the location of the two current combatants.

Gai then turned around to face Neji. "I guess this is the end of the line, Neji-kun." The special Jounin remarked as he slid into his Taijutsu stance. Neji eased to his Jyuuken stance as well.

Naruto brought out his camera to shoot footage of the fight.

The whole clearing then shifted to an eerie silence, the only sound was the rustling of the leaves as branches brushed each other. Eventually, a leaf floated down from the highest branch of the tallest tree. The leaf fell in an agonizingly slow descent…

…Lower…

…Lower…

…Lower…

…Lower…

…Lower…

After what seems to be an eternity, the leaf finally fell to the ground, and the two Taijutsu specialists exchanged blows, glancing blow against hard blow, Gokken Ryu against Jyuuken Ryu. Hyuuga Taijutsu versus the personal Taijutsu of a Jounin of Konoha…

It was at that moment…that Fate and Destiny decided to frown upon the life of their charge.

Having followed Gai's orders, Neji did not have breakfast that particular morning.

And now, that decision was biting him on his ass.

As Neji parried blow after hard blow of Gai's personal version of the Gokken Taijutsu, he felt his strength waning as he fought his stomach's loud protests. After another ten minutes of 'sparring', it was evident in Neji's sluggish movements that he was rapidly losing energy. Gai noticed this, and stopped his movements altogether.

"Neji-kun, has the fire of passionate youth deserted your body? It feels like I'm fighting a geriatric ninja!"

Neji was panting as he breathed in shallow gasps. The sounds that escaped his throat sounded more like guttural hunger than a growl. "Don't…under…estimate…me!" Neji then charged Gai directly, having acquired his second wind. But it still wasn't enough to pierce the defense of Konoha's Proud Green Beast. "You're getting sloppy Neji-kun! If you're not careful, a simple gust of wind will topple you over!" The Green Beast taunted his white-eyed examinee as Neji struggled to put up a fight.

"I've…been through worse…" Neji breathed hard as he parried another barrage of kicks and punches from Gai. The Jounin then contemplated on how to end this battle without hurting him physically. Suddenly, he had a wicked idea that he hasn't tried in several years. He then figured that a simple humiliation, instead of a flat out defeat, would knock his errant student-hopeful off of the pedestal that he himself had made for his ego. Now that the decision was made, he was just waiting for the opportune time to strike.

After a few more minutes, Gai's movements had shifted from attacking and blocking, to just simple dodging. Neji's movements had deteriorated to a drunkard's sluggish style of brawl, as he had no energy left in his body to even put up a decent defense. Neji was cursing his weakness and ineffectiveness as Gai now merely played with him as he dodged. The three other genin-hopefuls felt bad for their teammate,

Even Naruto, who didn't like Neji at first impression, hated to see Neji like this.

After several more minutes, Neji drew his fist back and clumsily punched Gai's cheek. The hit connected however, much to the surprise of Neji and the three hiding genin-to-be. The Gai that received the punch however, just grinned with exuberance. "Omedetou, Neji-kun! However…the one you punched isn't the real me…"

The Gai that Neji punched then disappeared into puffs of smoke. Gai's voice was now located a little distance beneath Neji's waist. The Taijutsu specialist sported his most wicked grin; that even Naruto shuddered at the creepiness of it. Nevertheless, the blonde genin-hopeful just continued the footage.

Naruto, Tenten, and Lee then watched in horror as Gai formed the tora seal from behind Neji. They wanted to warn him about the incoming fire element Ninjutsu, but they can't risk their cover, not just yet.

Gai then shouted at his weakened student. "…Always remember Neji-kun …that a Ninja DOES NOT get caught from behind! No matter what the situation is!" Gai then had a wild glint in his eyes, as he thrust the tora seal in a place where the sun doesn't shine on Neji.

"**KONOHA FURUI TAIJUTSU NO OUGI: SENNEN GOROSHI!"**

-KONOHA'S SUPREME ANCIENT TAIJUTSU SECRET TECHNIQUE: A THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN-!

-Insert sound effect of something very hard and very long invadingyour asshole in an instant-

-Like an uber-powerful ass-poke-

-Insert sound effect of Neji's girly scream, HERE-

Iruka's lecture at the academy was interrupted by a very manly, yet very feminine scream. His students were also curious at the sound. Iruka then explained that the source of the sound was a voice synthesizer, or it was either that Morino Ibiki was torturing someone again in broad daylight. The students of Room 105 nodded their assent at Iruka's explanation. He then chuckled at the thought that when The 'Annoying Trio' was around, the classroom was in a state of constant chaos and chatter. How he wished that these kinds of peaceful days could last forever.

Naruto snickered as he videotaped and photographed the last and final member of their team, take 'an unplanned flight' to 'commune with the trees', while screaming no less, a girly, yet manly scream at the same time. Neji's face was a visage of insulted pride and righteous indignation of pain and suffering as he flew, hitting a tree trunk and knocking himself out in the process. The Hyuuga prodigy unconsciously slid down the trunk, and involuntarily draped himself over a large branch.

The prankster was at his element while snapping pictures and shooting footage of Neji's 'humiliation' on camera. Tenten had a big sweat-drop on her head, while Lee had a somewhat smaller one. He never thought that Gai-sensei would use a technique to humiliate someone, but reasoned that it was for the best. Naruto then decided that there was enough pictures and footage to blackmail Neji for the rest of the year. Stowing his camera back inside his pouch, he signaled Tenten and Lee to move out.

It was time to rescue their white-eyed pretty boy of a teammate.

Gai had a wicked grin as he followed Neji's progress, his attention was distracted however by three blurs coming towards him. Lee eased himself into a Taijutsu stance. Tenten drew her kunai. And Naruto drew his shuriken. The three then charged at Gai, who also charged at them, drawing a kunai for each hand. As Tenten and Naruto threw their weapons, Lee flipped overhead and did an upside down kick, which was aimed at Gai's head. Gai reacted and deflected the weapons, while Lee's kick grazed his arm. Gai went on the offensive and punched Lee's chest as he landed. The Jounin then charged into a blur and reappeared in front of Tenten, kicking her feet right out from under her. Gai then reared his leg and released a roundhouse kick on Naruto, making him fly into a tree.

While Naruto's clones in Henge diverted Gai's attention, Tenten climbed the tree and spied an unconscious Neji from his perch with her clear-vision eyes. Naruto was also there, as he was observing his clones, which Gai was fighting at the moment. He then snapped a picture of a swirl-eyed and bruised Neji, whose stomach was now protesting in hunger. Tenten snickered at his predicament as Lee lifted him up on his shoulder. Naruto grinned as he used Kage Bunshin again, making it rain clones down on the clearing, a quarter of the clones each took the forms of Naruto, Neji, Lee, and Tenten. They then nodded at each other, and skipped over to the location of their base camp with an unconscious Neji in tow.

Gai wasn't surprised as 'Naruto' 'Lee' and 'Tenten' disappeared into puffs of smoke. His face then turned into seriousness as close to a hundred plus clones dropped down on the clearing. Lees, Tentens, Nejis, and Narutos now charged him en masse. Once again Gai was impressed with one of his students, as he charged at the clones with a battle cry.

"_What stamina! If I can hone his chakra control, along with his large amount of stamina, he will be a force to be reckoned with once he takes the chuunin exams! I will beat you yet Kakashi, my eternal rival! All of my students are talented as it is. I just hope that they can pass this exam. With their youthful energies, they shall become the strongest genin team!"_

Several minutes later, before lunchtime.

Hyuuga Neji opened his eyes, as a patch of noon sunlight streamed down on his face. He noticed three forms surrounding him. One of the forms then spoke. "I think he's coming out of it." Another form then spoke out. "Yosh! Now we can pass the exam! Our youthfulness will help us pass!" A girl's form scolded the second one. "Quiet Lee, he's still a little groggy after being knocked out."

Neji then rubbed his eyes, and looked back at the faces surrounding him. Recognizing the faces as his teammates, he got up from his position on the ground. "How are you feeling?" Tenten inquired as she helped him up to sit. "Still a little lightheaded, my…behind is still hurting as well." The white-eyed boy answered as he regained his consciousness completely. Naruto wanted to speak an insult, but held his tongue. Instead of throwing a barb, he tossed a damp towel at Neji, and spoke with a careful consideration of his words.

"Here, freshen up a bit, you hit that tree trunk pretty hard when Gai-sensei…did…that." Naruto then turned around and reached for the watch in his vest. "Rest and regain your energies, minna. We're going to be here for a while." A ringing sound then confirmed his sentence. "That was the lunch bell on the alarm clock, Gai-sensei should have defeated all of my clones by now and heard the bell. So we're safe."

Tenten and Lee nodded their assent, while Neji tossed the towel back to Naruto, and got up to leave the three. "Wait! Where are you going?" Lee asked Neji as he took a few steps away from them. "To eat lunch, Gai-sensei said that he has lunch boxes for us. So I'm going to him for my meal, so that I can regain my energies and pass this exam." Naruto smiled a sly smile as he spoke.

"True, but Gai-sensei said that you could only eat the obento that he brought if you have two or more circles, if my eyesight is wrong, you still have only one circle, just like the rest of us." Neji's steps faltered as he walked, he then turned around and glared at Naruto in anger, while pointing at Lee. His ego bruised yet again, just after Gai gave it a brutal beating "If you hadn't interrupted this baka while he charged Gai, I would've had my circles by now and passed." At Neji's hurtful words, Lee hung his head dejectedly. Naruto defended his friend and his actions. Raw anger was bubbling out from him, in resentment of Neji's words.

"So what if I helped him? Haven't you figured out the purpose of this exam yet? And here I thought that you're a genius prodigy. So much for that title…" Naruto snorted as Neji glared harder at him. Tenten decided at that moment to break up the argument.

"Come on now guys, no time for arguments. Neji, as much as we hate to admit it, we need every bit of help we can get to pass this exam, we have…" Neji turned around and ignored Tenten, cutting her sentence off as he talked with his back towards them. "And why should _I_, Hyuuga Neji, help weaklings like you? I can practically pass the exam myself, without any of your help." Neji spoke as he used his look of superiority at the three of them. Naruto decided to take him down a peg or two again, and spoke while he reheated the kettle of now lukewarm water to a boil.

"If you're still clueless, _Hyuuga-sama…_this exam was set up to gauge our abilities and readiness to work as a team, this is NOT I repeat, NOT an individual exam. Gai-sensei only made it like this so that we will fight over who will get the circles and who will not. And if you're still thinking about passing this exam by yourself, reflect on your last spar with Gai-sensei. Frankly speaking, he had your ass handed to you when you fought him. What now, you'll fight him on an empty stomach? We three witnessed what happened when you did that. If there's any consolation, all of us had our ass kicked today. Believe me when I say that the only way to get those circles, is if we work together." Naruto finished his speech as Neji contemplated his response. Ignoring the barb on his now very battered pride.

"But still, there are only nine circles, as there are four of us…it means one of us will actually fail." Naruto nodded at Neji's conclusion and spoke again. "It has already been decided that I will be the one to fail the exam. Lee, Tenten, no arguments for now…" The brown-haired girl and the black-haired boy stayed silent. Naruto smiled at them.

"Do not worry, if the plan works we will all pass as Gai's new genin team. If it doesn't work…then we'll have to go back at the academy. Demo…with Neji's insistence to pass, and Lee's desire to not go back there, I am the only one eligible and expendable in this team. You're also twelve years old now Tenten, and by the academy's standards, you're too old to go back with those snot-faced kids." Tenten snorted a laugh at her blonde teammate, who grinned back at her.

"Well now, what we need is a plan. I'm really not a thinker by nature, so only you three have to work it out. I'm just a follower, and not a leader, for now that is." As Naruto finished his sentence, Neji, Tenten, and Lee worked out a plan. "What if we…"Tenten then started their brainstorming as Naruto handed her and Lee a cup of ramen, while Neji accepted three cups from him.

Twenty-nine minutes after lunchtime…

Maito Gai, having already eaten one of the large obento that his mother gave him for lunch, was now on the prowl for his errant students. Fighting four genin, and multiple shadow clones had exhausted his 'youthful spirit', which was now back in full. As he stepped inside the center of the main clearing, the sound of the second alarm for the resume of the exam sounded. A rustling in the bushes made his head turn, which revealed Lee, already in a fighting stance.

"Gai-sensei! let us continue where we left off! This time there will be no Naruto-kun to disturb our match!"

As Lee charged Gai head-on, another rustling in the bushes signaled another person's arrival.

"Step aside baka, this is not a playground, let me show you how real ninja's fight. Fate has decided that _I_ will be the first one to pass this exam." Neji revealed himself beside the tree that he was using for cover. Lee then tried to retort, however, another sound near their proximity interrupted his intended barb.

"Oh come on boys, are you really going to leave me out in the cold?" Tenten purred as she completed the triple lock, blocking Gai's every avenue of escape. Lee had regained his voice after Tenten appeared, and resumed to speak to Neji.

"What do you mean by 'the first to one pass this exam'? I'm going to pass first! And no one is going to stop me!" Neji just grunted at Lee's words. "Care to back that up, shit for brains?" Lee was about to retort again when Tenten interrupted him.

"Hey! Don't ignore me you assholes! Why I…"

Gai was shifting his attention at the three academy graduates as one person decided to speak his or her own opinion, the ping pong of barbs, insults, and swear words constantly bouncing around and eventually making him roll his eyes uncharacteristically. Gai was paying attention at the current conversation so much, that he had failed to notice what was going on under his feet.

The loud volume in the clearing effectively hid the sounds of four, orange-colored squirrels, which darted around Gai's ankles, wrapping steel wire around the leg warmers that the Jounin preferred to wear. There were instances that the wire almost tightened because of the movements of the squirrels, but had been slackened enough by the clones holding the wires at each end. After making sure that they had wrapped enough wire to make the 'prank' secure, the squirrels scattered in different directions. Two backtracked and ran up to a Naruto clone, nodded, and disappeared in a muffled puff of smoke as the clone saluted them. Squirrel team2 had done the same thing with their clone 'commander'. Drawing their combat knives, the Naruto clones threw them in the same direction, where their creator was waiting for a signal.

The insults in the clearing had grinded to a halt, as Naruto revealed himself from his hiding place. "Yare yare, you're all so loud, I had to cut my naptime short because of your volume. I'm here to fetch my circles. Don't get in my way…" Naruto hissed as he charged Gai, kunai firmly held in each hand. Tenten, Lee, and Neji also decided that it was also time to attack as well, Gai was just standing as he contemplated what to do next.

Naruto approached first and swung his armed left hand. Gai figured that he was aiming for the circle on his right upper arm, and dodged accordingly. Which made Naruto completely miss, what made the miss disconcerting was that Naruto grinned as he recovered. He was distracted however from thinking, as Lee performed a jump kick on his head. Gai once again dodged the blow.

He then saw Tenten appear on his left side as a flipping Lee passed his left shoulder, the lone female graduate then tossed two kunai at him, which Gai dodged as well, the kunai traveling between his shoulder blades, the right one was traveling upward, while the left one was traveling downward. Neji then decided to enter the fray and tossed kunai of his own, his kunai traveled in the same path as Tenten's kunai. Neji's kunai hit their intended targets, which changed trajectories, and spun.

As the kunai spun around Gai's arm, he noticed the inconspicuous wires tied on the kunai, which then became taut. Four Naruto clones then grabbed his limbs, while one clone covered his eyes. The clone then shouted.

"Now guys!"

Some distance away from the clearing, four Naruto clones were each holding onto a steel wire, they then let loose the very heavy logs that the wires were tied to with their combat knives. The logs were set up at the highest point of the tallest trees in the clearing. After all, Naruto had the skills, time, and chakra to order fifty clones to cut and rig very heavy logs as counterweights throughout the clearing.

It was now time for some payback, and to pass the exam at the same time.

As Gai and the clones were being raised up, a voice shouted above the clearing. "NOW!" said the voice, as Gai's ascent gained speed. Six shadow clones then appeared near the genin-to-be; formed into pairs, kneeled, and motioned for Neji, Tenten, and Lee to hurry up and approach them. The genin-examinees were then launched upwards by their 'catapults' towards the now rising Jounin examiner. The wires then finally tightened taut, suspending and restraining Gai, who was now spread-eagled in mid-air. The clones on his body completed the final diversion, and completely blinded Gai's vision with their smoke as they puffed into nothingness.

Neji, Tenten, and Lee were now focused on the task at hand. With Lee being the tallest of the three, he launched upward and firmly punched the circles on Gai's upper neck and head. He then flew past the now immobile Jounin, flipped, turned, and planted a medium strength, but firm kick at the middle of Gai's spine in mid-air, three more circles in green color followed him as he made his free-fall, his eyes were in tears because of his success.

Not about to be outdone by his teammate, Neji controlled his ascent and activated his Byakugan, tensing into the Jyuuken ryu; he then pressed the circles on Gai's right lower leg, left lower stomach, and right upper arm. Confirming the three brown circles following his progress as he reversed directions, he curled his body tight and spun downwards to the ground. He smiled arrogantly as he descended to the forest floor.

Tenten was the last one to acquire her circles, but she really didn't care if she came first or last. Passing the exam was the most important thing at the moment. She then reached into her utility pouch and slipped her steel knuckle-dusters on her hands, she then proceeded to punch the remaining circles on Gai's left upper thigh, left lower arm, and left chest. Three blue circles immediately fell off from Gai's body, and promptly stuck to Tenten's. She grinned as she forward flipped to a branch, using a kunai to stop her descent. She then descended to the ground on her own terms.

Gai then cried tears of joy at his new team, although they had a rocky start, they overcame the adversities and prevailed in his exam by working together. All the teams that undertook his exam always gave up halfway, or failed outright because of infighting between teammates, or because of complaints about the unfair mechanics of the exam. He was glad that he changed the rules of this year's exam because of Naruto's presence as the fourth genin examinee. As Neji, Tenten, and Lee gathered in front of him, he announced the results of the exam.

"You guys…PASS WITH FLYING COLORS! Never in my years of being an Elite Jounin and genin examiner have I seen such chemistry and teamwork! Demo…Even though Naruto-kun didn't try to get a circle from my youthful body, he was the one behind gathering the three of you, convincing you to work together, and the executor of the plan that you three have come up with, am I right?" The stunned looks of the now official genin, was enough to answer Gai.

"My now official students of passionate youth, do you have no faith in your sensei's experience? Oh! How you wound me with your untrustworthy attitude, and we aren't an official genin cell yet!" The Elite Jounin slash Taijutsu specialist inquired in mock-sadness, and wept fake tears. Tenten and Neji gave him pointed looks, while Lee hesitated, and was about to answer that he believes Gai when Tenten and Neji smacked him upside the head in sync.

"Itai!"

Lee then encountered the glares of the two, and raised his arms in surrender. He then promptly changed tunes and glared at Gai as well. At this show of unity, well, almost-unity, Gai laughed out loud heartily.

"Ah, I guess you found me out. Although I _was_ planning to spy on you four using Kage Bunshin, Naruto anticipated my move and used clones to patrol the clearing while I ate. Even though I am an elite Jounin, the best of the best in my rank, I do not have the abundant energy, exuberance, and stamina to make batch after batch of shadow clones like our dear Naruto-kun. Take note however, that I am not praising our mischievous teammate, I am just pointing out one of his talents.

Neji-kun for example, is the most proficient practitioner of the Hyuuga's Jyuuken ryu at his age and skill level, a real prodigy if I do say so for myself. Tenten-chan has the most knowledge and grasp of weapons handling and throwing skills in our group. A trait of every Kirimai family member, but Tenten-chan really takes it to another level. A true Dancer of the blades, she is. But let us not forget Lee-kun, among the four of you, he has the most potential in Taijutsu, his body's physique, and movements are already proof of his talent. I am already starting to envision his potential. He will be one of the strongest genins of this generation. All four of you have the potential to be the strongest genins. I am very sure of it." Gai finished his speech in a solemn tone as the three smiled.

Gai was about to speak again and point out their weaknesses, when a rustling in the bushes drew the attention of the genin on the ground, and the Jounin in mid-air. 'Naruto' stepped out of the bush and spoke. "Is it…is it over?" He asked the three on the ground. Lee-kun gave the Naruto clone a nice guy pose his teeth flashing brightly. "Hai! We passed the exam! We are now official genins of the leaf!" Tenten was all smiles, and Neji had a smug smirk on his face as they both nodded. What followed was an eerie silence after the three genin spoke.

The Naruto clone then nodded solemnly, and bowed at the three, he then turned and bowed at Gai, who was still suspended by the wires. "Omedetou Lee, Neji, and Tenten for passing the exam. May you have fruitful careers as official genins of the leaf…I also want to thank you, Gai-sensei, in behalf of my creator, for giving him the opportunity to undertake your examination, although he did not pass your exam, he says that he will always be grateful and thankful that he had met you and team nine. He says that he will use the experience that he gained on this survival exam to pass his next genin survival exam. Well then I have to go and give him the news, I guess I'll see you around minna…it's been fun while it lasted. Jaa ne…"

As the clone walked away in a slouched position, Gai had tears in his eyes as he felt it's dejected progress. He then shouted at the clone. "And where is your master at the moment! Youthful shadow clone?" The Naruto clone paused for a moment, and resumed his 'walk of shame' without even turning to look at Gai. "He already started to head for home after all my other comrades disappeared. He already knew that he was going to fail anyway." Neji decided to take matters into his own hands, and spoke up

"Tell your 'master' to haul his ass back here in the training ground. Because he has also passed this exam." At Neji's words, the Naruto clone turned around, his face in a stunned expression.

"H-hontou? He also passed the exam?" The clone asked carefully, not being sure if this was a trick or not. Tenten placed her hand on the clone's shoulder, which calmed it down.

"He's not kidding, Naruto also passed the exam with us. In fact, if it weren't for his insistence and reassurance that we needed to work together, we wouldn't have passed Gai-sensei's survival exam. So will you please locate him and bring him back here?" The clone then saluted Tenten, the foxy grin pasted on its face.

"Ossu! Gyokai Shimasuta!" The Naruto clone shouted as he ran off to find Naruto's location. Lee then dashed and followed the clone. "Matte kudasai! I want to bring Naruto-kun back here too!" Tenten just snickered at Lee's childishness, while Neji walked in his own pace to follow the two. "If I know Lee, he's going to thank Naruto to death for helping him pass the exam. Let's follow him to ensure that doesn't happen." Tenten nodded in agreement and followed the white-eyed youth. Their destination was wherever Naruto was at the moment.

Gai chuckled brightly as he nodded his agreement to bring Naruto back to the clearing. After all, he still hasn't officially passed him as a genin of the leaf. "I admire your passionate determination to bring your teammate back here, so that I can officially pass him! So go forth and drag your errant teammate my passionate students as you…a're? Neji-kun? Tenten-chan? Lee-kun?"

Gai then noticed that he was speaking to himself, for the genins that made up his team were now absent, searching for their missing teammate.

Gai also didn't fail to notice that he was still hoisted up in the very literal center of the clearing. The steel wires were still taut enough to deem escape as impossible.

He was now, literally and figuratively, a sitting duck.

Maito Gai sighed mournfully, as a cold wind passed by the clearing, amidst the afternoon sun.

As Master Yoda would say: "Lonely a Jounin's life living, it is as…"

Gai then looked forward, fire in his eyes and waterfall tears in his cheeks, as he looked at the direction where his three students, and a shadow clone, disappeared.

"Oooooh! The fiery passion of youth will surely bring them back here! They will surely never forget to release my restraints…"

Wind passed by the clearing once more, seeming to be colder and more impersonal than the last one. Gai then felt uncertainty pass by his intuitive senses.

"…They will surely be back and release my bonds, right?"

The author sighed as he typed this part of the story. He just hoped that Gai wouldn't jinx his predicament any further…

…Or maybe not…

"They will surely be back! If not I will stay in this forest and run laps a thousand times around the clearing with my legs tied behind my back and my eyes blindfolded! Yosh!"

Aikuchi Shikaku had a vein in his temple as he typed Gai's antics. He then decided to get some shuteye for a few hours. He will just have to leave Gai to his predicament, and go back where he left off in this story.

End Chapter.

A/N: And…Cut! Gomenasai for the late update! I just kept adding and adding and adding to this fic, so that I can finish the 'Genin Survival Examination arc' in one go. I hope you like how the chapter came out. I won't be giving a sneak peak for now, as I haven't added the last one in this chapter! Hontou ni Gomenasai Minna-san! TT But as of now, this chapter is complete.

And now, to answer the reviews of chapter 2:

Chaosronin – yes, there aren't a lot of stories out there where Naruto graduates early. I admit that it came from saraki22's 'beasts', but I hope that my story deviates completely from that fan fiction. I respect saraki22 and hope that I didn't plagiarize his whole fic. Well, at my progress I can see that it's vastly different from his. As for Neji's attitude about fate and destiny…we'll see what I'll do about it.

Hiakaru – At the rate I'm going, I hope I can produce chapters every week. Writing ten thousand words plus per chapter isn't easy. I'm as excited about what happens next as you are. Pray that my muse is always beside me so I can write chapters easily.

LIMAR – I know my grammar is bad, I've already fixed that, I think. I did keep putting 'i' instead of 'I'. I already fixed that by using Microsoft word and NOT word pad. The characters are somewhat OOC…yes, I guess Shino is a little bit OOC since he doesn't talk as much in canon as in my fic. The others have been pretty in character in my opinion. My idea is fairly original, I admit. A 5 out of 10 rating isn't fairly bad for a fic, so I thank you for it.

I hope I have fixed the grammatical errors and spelling and fixed the paragraphs, I have also toned down Gai's shouting. If you would read the whole fic from chapter 1 to now, I think I have cleaned up my errors, spelling, grammatical errors and the paragraphs. I'm sure I made Naruto a bit OOC, but I planned it to be that way.

But…if you have been reading this fic from chapter one to now and have read my author notes, you may have noted that this is my FIRST multi-chaptered fic. So there are bound to be errors, which I can fix. I also always note for you, and everyone to go easy on me. The fact that I mention this time and time again should be obvious.

SO WILL YOU PLEASE CUT ME SOME SLACK? PLEASE?

Thank you. And thank you for the review.

Elicit – Thanks for that correction. The error has been fixed. I didn't realize that tiny detail until you pointed it out. Thank you for the input.

She.Who.Knows – Thanks for reviewing again. For now the Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura fans aren't breathing down my neck. Sadly the Annoying Trio's bad luck will have to go back to the normal levels again. I'm a bit tired of including them in my fic. The next time I write them will be when they meet Naruto a year later. And don't worry. I'll finish this fic even if it's the last thing I do. Keep reviewing.

demon-sword – I'm glad you like the Sasuke bashing. But sadly, all things must come to an end. But don't worry. He'll get his ass handed to him very soon. The short sword training will be either in this chapter, or the next. Naruto has wielded a Katana in some fics; in time I will also join the bandwagon. I just hope that the Naruto in this fic will be able to be on par with other Katana-wielding Naruto in other fics.

The Hokages will just pop in and give him advice in training, especially when he practices their jutsus. On the theory that Naruto is Yondaime's son…well, the best that I can do is to make him the heir of the Fourth's assets and techniques. Jiraiya will be taking him in as a pseudo apprentice in this fic. I also do not know if Naruto should learn the body flicker or not. I have read of fics that have done that. But we'll see what happens.

scott – The bashings will be either toned down or ended in this chapter. Thank you for enjoying my bashing moments. Sasuke is somewhat an overrated character so it's fun to take him down and his fan girls a peg or two. Please keep reading and reviewing.

wolvesm0on – the bloodline doujutsus, will hopefully be in this chapter. As well as its abilities and potentials. And what Naruto's training will be like. I just hope I don't make him too powerful, too fast.

DJ Rodrigues – Yes, Naruto has a very tough road ahead of him. What with training, the bloodline ritual, and the survival exam, along with missions and sparring sessions with team Gai, he has a very busy year a head of him.

You're right; the Hokages will train him and give him pointers, but not that much. It's up to the people and Shinobi that I will assemble to train Naruto to fill in his gaps and make him a balanced Shinobi. As for your NaruTen and NaruHina votes, it has been acknowledged and added to the tally. Keep reading and reviewing, thanks for the review

Captain50 – Thank you for the positive comment. As for the updates, the best I can commit to is a weekly one. Please understand if the chapters are delayed. Thank you again for reviewing.

akume vanessa200078582atyahoodotcom - Yes, I did read about that part. It was a great idea of saraki22 to ally Kirigakure to Konoha with a team program. I've rarely seen Kirigakure involved in the canon. Thank you for the comments of my bashing scenarios. In my opinion, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino had it long coming for them.

Lord Myst – I'm sorry if you found chapter 2 hard to read, especially Gai's speech sequences. I have changed it so that he doesn't scream. I have read some fics and have found that he only has exclamation points in his speeches, and not full out screaming. I have fixed chapters 1, 2, and three. About saraki22's beasts, it appears that he has broken his writer's block, and has now been writing further chapters, or has moved on to his other fics to shake off said writer's block.

Mealstrom – I also hope that my fic will be an excellent story as well. As for right now it is still in its infancy, I hope you stick around to read and review my fic. Your vote has been acknowledged and added to the tally.

The Sandman – Yes, I know the format was bad the last couple of chapters, they have been fixed now, and I hope you haven't turned away from this fic because of it. Please keep reading and keep reviewing.

Dragon Man 180 – I'm glad you enjoyed the bashings. They're going to end as I focus on Naruto and his training, as well as his interactions with team nine and Gai. As for Lee and Naruto humiliating Sasuke, Lee will humiliate him canon-style of course. Naru will wipe the floor with him during the chuunin exams. Yes, I plan to improve Naruto's Taijutsu. It's so pathetic in the Manga, especially in the Anime, that it's not funny anymore. I plan him to be on par with Neji and Lee's Taijutsu levels, or beyond. I do not know if I plan to have Gai teach Naruto to open the initial gate, or gates.

neosildrake – Yes, I do not like Sasuke and Ino and Sakura. As for Naruto training under Gai…well, the nightmare starts this chapter, or next chapter. Look out for it and read and review as well.

granite69 – Yes, it was hard to read, I admit that and I apologize if you had a hard time reading chapter 2. It has been otherwise fixed. I hope you can read it well now.

To: cat, KitMiyu, and lawyer1, a reviewer for chapter 1, thank you for your reviews. Keep reviewing

A/N: Re-Edited April 23, 2006 6:05 PM

A/N:Next arc will be the bloodline ritual arc! So please practice the three R's! Read, Review, and the most important R, which is **Recommend**! Onegai shimasu? TT


	5. Chapter 5

A somewhat dejected and tired Uzumaki Naruto walked with his head bent down, as he followed the winding, man-made paths that shinobi always made in this part of the forests of his ninja village. Doing his own version of 'the walk of shame' as he traveled the pathways that eventually lead to Konohagakure's residence and business section, as well as the city dwellings. He was smiling as he recalled the events that happened on Ninja training grounds nine. He had done the seemingly impossible task of bringing team nine together and making them agree to work as a cohesive genin cell. After that, the planning for Gai's 'downfall' was formulated.

Flashback no Jutsu!

Naruto was all ears as he listened to the brainstorming of his teammates. They had discussed Gai's strength, power, endurance, and speed in length. But in the last five minutes, they have not found a way to disable those advantages without having Lee, Neji, or Tenten in the line of danger. As the three entered an impasse in their discussion, Naruto decided to add his two cents to the conversation.

"Let's take this into simple perspective minna, what do we know about Gai sensei from our battles with him?" Lee fell into a thinking pose, followed by Neji and Tenten, with Neji heavily pondering his answer through meditation. Naruto then decided to make cup ramen for himself. He really doesn't function well without anything in his stomach.

After two minutes, Lee finally answered. "Well, Gai-sensei is fast, has an enormous amount of stamina, and has power and skill in his strikes, he also can use Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. The fires of youth burns brightly in him as well." Naruto nodded at Lee's input, and turned to Tenten, who started speaking right after Lee.

"Gai-sensei can dodge accordingly well, from my spar with him, he has the agility to dodge projectiles. Shrugging off an attack is like second-nature to him as well. Lee's kick grazed his arm, but he didn't even flinch." Lee nodded at her observations. That was the time Neji added his own input.

"I lead Gai-sensei to a place in the clearing where the trees were only twenty-five years old. He understood that he will have a hard time fighting me there, because his fighting style's major point relies on kicks and hard punches, which he has no legroom and elbow room for in the forest, so he used a shadow clone to trick me. He headed back to the open clearing after that though." Naruto contemplated Neji's answer, and nodded at the Hyuuga in appreciation for his input.

"So, Gai-sensei is fast, agile, has power behind his kicks and punches, he can dodge projectiles, he can out-maneuver the four of us using his speed, he can use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, has great stamina, and can endure punishment…" The other three frowned at his thoughts.

"So if we remove his speed…" Naruto started, coaxing the plan out of their lips.

"…Restrict his movements…" Neji continued.

"…And restrain his limbs…" Tenten added.

"Then…we can take the circles that we need away from him! YOSH!" Lee finished for the three of them, Naruto nodded at his friend's deduction. Neji and Tenten were nodding their approval. But Lee was still having second thoughts as to what they were about to do.

"Demo…how can we take out his limbs if we can't even get near him?" Lee asked with a frown, Neji and Tenten seeming to agree with his question, Naruto huffed loudly, catching the attention of the other three genin-hopefuls and shaking their worries out of their brains.

"Don't worry, I have been in this situation before, and the person I pranked was somewhat like Gai-sensei, seemingly untouchable and un-prank-able, but I still got him in the end. Now, what I need for you three to do is…"

Time shift no jutsu!

Naruto landed at the spot in the forest that had thick tree trunks. He then brought out the combat knife, and concentrated his gaze on what he deemed as a moderately high; and moderately heavy tree. He then jumped on the tree to judge its height and thickness, leaving a kage bunshin on the top of the tree, which was holding a length of steel wire. Using the knife, he marked the places where he will cut the tree in sections by running downwards the three in high speed, without chakra of course. He then controlled his descent near the base of the tree by hanging onto the wire. Naruto then jumped the rest of the way downward. He then tugged on the wire once, and the shadow clone up the tree pulled him up.

Dismissing his shadow clone with a nod and rolling up his steel wire, the blonde then concentrated his chakra onto the knife's blade by using the ram seal, and with his newly acquired chakra focusing gloves. Deeming that he had enough chakra by feeling the temperature on the blade, he jumped using a back flip, holding the half-ram seal in his right hand and the knife with the blade surrounded by chakra, with the knife handle pressed to the palm of his right hand. Naruto then formed half-handed seals for a jutsu, ending with a two-handed tiger seal, igniting the chakra on the blade to form high-temperature flames. Naruto now recalled when Iruka taught him the jutsu, which he is now using in conjunction with the blade.

"_Okay Naruto, I will now show you two jutsus that I made personally, which can be used in conjunction with any blade. We are just practicing it on knives as it has the shortest blade length. This is a chuunin-rank, bordering low to mid C-class level jutsu with a chuunin chakra control rank requirement, but as we are pressed in time, and you already have a chuunin-level chakra capacity, you're going to have to learn the control for it later, and that's an order. OK? _

_Well then, the first part is gathering chakra onto the blade with the ram seal. Ah, you're doing it already, that's good. Now, at this stage it can already be thrown by saying 'kai!' in your mind, this jutsu is called Chakra Bu-redo –Chakra Blade- I will now show you a fire jutsu that I made in conjunction with the chakra blade, do the seals, then shout out the technique in your mind, the jutsu is called…"_

Naruto then opened his eyes, calling forth the technique in his mind as he was in freefall.

_Houka wa Yaiba no Mai, Dageki Go! –Dance of the Fire Blade, 5 Strikes!- _

Naruto then slashed the top most portion of the tree in a perfect horizontal motion, the super-heated chakra, which bordered onto a fire element Ninjutsu, cleanly cut the thick tree trunk and the topmost portion of the tree. He then proceeded to slash four times more, after the fifth slash he curled his body into a circle and descended down to the forest floor. Landing on his feet, he panted at the extreme amount of chakra that he released because of his poor chakra control. The blonde paused for a moment, decided to regain his breath, and think.

"_I really have very bad chakra control, like Iruka-sensei said. The first thing I'm going to learn after I pass this exam is to fine-tune and control my chakra until it's on par with a Jounin's…or I'll at least fine-tune it until I achieve Mid-Sannin-level chakra control. That simple jutsu took a lot of chakra, but enough of my whining. The question right now is: where the hell am I going get the chakra to use for the rest of this exam? I'm screwed!"_

"_**You don't have to look THAT far. That problem of yours can be remedied easily, you weakling…"**_ The malevolent voice once again spoke inside his mind. Naruto then shook his surprise, and confronted the voice, which spoke inside his head for the second time today.

"_Ok asshole, just who the hell are you? And what the hell are you doing speaking inside my mind?"_

The malevolent voice adopted a mock-hurt tone of voice, but Naruto easily heard the tone of dismissal and indifference that underlie it.

"_**Who I am, or I am more inclined to say 'What I am', and what I am doing inside your mind, is of course important for both of us. But as I can see that you are, in my choice of words, 'Occupied' at the moment, we will continue this discussion on a more appropriate time and place, what matters is that you're in the middle of what you humans call, 'an Examination'. So I suggest that you get your 'ass in gear' and 'hop to it', you yellow-haired rat, for now however, I will give you a chakra boost, enjoy…"**_

As the voice left his mind, Naruto suddenly felt something spike up in his navel at the center of the seal of Kyuubi, he then opened up his vest, lifted up his shirt, and looked at the chakra, which was colored red. He then saw the chakra spiral out of the seal and engulf him. Naruto had never seen so much chakra before, and it was visible right in front of his eyes. As he was starting to get overwhelmed by the red chakra, the kanji for 'Sho' in his left arm twitched, and gave his mind a mental tug, catching the blonde's attention. Naruto then heard the voice of the Shodaime Hokage speaking inside his mind.

"_**Calm down Naruto, close your eyes, and use these seals that I will be showing you, then call out the technique in your mind. After that just hold the ram seal, until I tell you to release it."**_ Naruto complied and slowly went through the hand seals with his eyes closed, he then called out the technique within his mind, which ended in the ram seal.

_Shodaime Hokage's personal bijuu-chakra conversion and controlling technique: Release!_

As he finished voicing out the technique in his mind, he found that the chakra did not overwhelm him as much as it did, and started to subside, Naruto then was awed as the red chakra transformed into multiple times the amount of blue chakra, which flowed back to his chakra coils. Shodaime then signaled the blonde to lower his arms. Naruto then gave the Shodaime a mental smile, and a bow.

"_Arigatou Shodaime-sama! I almost thought that I would be lost amidst that red chakra. Can you please tell me where that chakra came from and why it is inside my body?" _Naruto exclaimed as he waited for the Shodaime's answer. Naruto was dismayed however, as the first generation fire shadow gave him the mental equivalent of a headshake.

"_**As for now, I cannot tell you how and why that red chakra came out of your body. Just focus on the exam for the moment and the four of us will tell you what you want and need to know tonight, as we have many things to discuss. For now, what I advise is that you start moving the tree you have just cut, and to begin executing your 'prank'. We will be watching you from within your mindscape Naruto. Good luck and do your best.**_

Naruto nodded mentally and felt the Shodaime's presence leave his mind. Looking towards the tree that he cut, he took a minute to fully take in his handiwork, and examine the clean cuts that Iruka's personal technique did on the tree, he whistled in awe and appreciation to Iruka for teaching the technique to him. He then formed nine kage bunshins, and ordered them to surround the tree, forming hand seals in sync, Naruto and his clones all spoke out in unison.

_Ninpou: Jishin wa Kyokuso no jutsu! –Ninja Arts: Localized Earthquake technique!_

Lifting up their hands and gathering up a small amount of chakra, they opened up their palms and slammed it onto the ground, causing a small seismic quake. Which was localized at the base of the tree, and shook Naruto and the clones, causing the clones to disappear because of chakra depletion. The tree finally toppled at the points where it was cut, and fell like a house of cards. Naruto grinned as he shouted, while running away out of the tree's collapse radius.

"**TIIIMMMBBBERRR!"**

While Naruto watched the progress of the toppling tree, he spied a medium-sized fox running away from one of the falling tree trunks. He suddenly found himself some distance away from the falling tree in shock, the fox held protectively in his arms. For some reason, the wild animal didn't seem to be frightened at Naruto, the blonde then kneeled on one knee, and released the fox, which hesitated to run away, Naruto then shooed it away. "Come on now, best be on your way, it's a little bit dangerous here at the moment." Naruto then chuckled at himself. Here he was, talking to a fox, which can't talk back.

Can't it?

Suddenly, a shimmering light engulfed the fox, and the tail that it was swishing back and forth turned into two tails, while the body transformed itself into a lightly-tanned, pre-teenage female form, that was equal to Naruto's age and height. Her body fur covered her sensitive areas in silver and gold hues, while pale blue eyes with cat-like slits looked at him in kindness, but Naruto could see a hint of playfulness and mischievousness in its depths, as she looked at him in fascination, and a hint of adoration.

The kitsune also sported whisker marks on her cheeks. Black fox-like ears with violet-tips adorned the top of her head, while dark-brown hair framed the heart-shaped, angelic face. The fangs on her mouth also accentuated her features, making her look more like a kitten than a fox. The somewhat transformed kitsune swished her tails and approached Naruto, who bowed at him, and spoke in a tiny, girl-like voice.

"Thank you for saving me from the falling tree, kind sir. May I know the name of my savior?" Naruto was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. For the first time in eleven years, he can't say anything to save his ass.

"Well, that is a first." The author chuckled as he continued to type.

"N-N-N-Naruto! U-Uzu-ma-maki, N-Naruto!" Naruto blurted out in a stutter as the kitsune bit her lip in awkwardness, making her cuteness more adorable, not to mention more seductive at the same time. A shimmering aura surrounded her as she stood there.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" The dark-haired kitsune repeated the name, as if she were testing the sound of her voice. Looking oddly at Naruto and his behavior, she then looked at herself, and immediately found the problem. The radiant glow that surrounded the kitsune was dispelled as she flicked her hand on her head.

"Ah, I see! Sorry for not turning my kitsune seduction off. The reason for that is because I have just turned a hundred years old, and had just gotten my second tail. I am Kanae by the way, and I belong to a tribe of Kitsune that patrol the borders of fire country. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu, Naruto-kun!" The female kitsune came closer to Naruto and shook his hand. Naruto nodded as he turned a shade of pink.

Apparently, the female kitsune still hadn't turned off her seduction factor completely.

"_**Mount her, you yellow-haired rat!"**_

Naruto was thankful for the voice that distracted him from the cutesy kitsune that was in front of him, before his mind strayed into unexplored and uncharted territory, but he was confused as to what the voice meant.

"_What in the blazes of hell do you mean?"_

Inside the seal of Yondaime, the Kyuubi no Kitsune banged his head at the bars of his cage. Grumbling about vessels that can create stupid perverted jutsus that targets the more perverted, older male species, but can still have a grasp of its innocence.

Wait…was Naruto really _that_ innocent?

"_**YOU YELLOW-HAIRED, IDIOTIC BRAT! I MEANT MOUNT HER! TAKE HER! HAVE BEEP WITH HER DAMMIT! USE YOUR MALE INSTINCTS AND MAKE HER BEAR YOUR PUPS! I MEAN BABIES! ARGH! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I MEAN! WELL, YOU WILL HAVE HALF-KITSUNE, HALF HUMAN OFFSPRING, BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT! "**_

As those words left Kyuubi's…err, maw? Yeah, maw…Naruto visibly reddened, with matching blood rushing up at the blood vessels of his nose, threatening to spurt on his nostrils. The blonde kitsune then shouted at the voice, which wasn't in the mental sense.

"Y-YOU ASSHOLE! DO YOU KNOW HOW OLD I AM! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY '_MOUNT HER! TAKE HER! USE YOUR MALE INSTINCTS AND MAKE HER BEAR YOUR PUPS!'?_ DO YOU REALIZE THAT I'M JUST ELEVEN YEARS OLD FOR KAMI'S SAKE! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ORDER ME LIKE I'M YOUR FOOT SOLDIER! A LOWLY SERVANT!"

The four Hokages and the Kyuubi winced at Naruto's loud volume, the Bijuu however wasn't going to take Naruto's insults, and retorted back.

"_**I dare, because I am the greatest demon lord of all on the makai realm! Kyuubi no Kitsune no Youkai! Source of the Akagan! Master of illusions! And founder of the Aka Tribe! Who do you think you are to shout at-?"**_

Before the Nine-tails could retort further, and before Naruto could get over the shock at the identity of his mental sparring partner, Kanae gasped, and spoke in a whisper…

Time shift no jutsu!

After a few minutes of clearly explaining things to Kanae, and after making a deal with said kitsune-no-onna, Naruto finally found the time to rig and setup the logs on the entire clearing. It was to be the scene of their first, and hopefully last attempt as a fully functional genin cell, to outwit their sensei-to-be and pass the exam 'as a whole'. Naruto then admired the handiwork that his clones did as he swung from his wire, which was still long inside his utility pouch. Iruka-sensei _did_ give him several years' worth of the stuff, which was very handy in these kinds of situations.

Landing someplace near the center of the clearing, Naruto sensed Gai's chakra signature as the Jounin approached the clearing, which was exactly where Neji and Lee first predicted him to go. Using a shadow clone and turning it into a kunai, he shot the kage kunai at their 'staging point'. He then busied himself and made shadow clones appear near the four logs, which were rigged to fall once the steel wires binding them up the canopy of the forest were cut.

He then went down on the forest floor and made four clones, which he assigned to wires that were dangling below the rigged logs. The blonde then ordered the shadow clones to henge into squirrels, in the exact same color that matches Gai's legwarmers perfectly, and briefed them to wrap their assigned wires on the Jounin's legs. He then handed three wires each to the orange squirrels, which nodded at him and scurried off to await Naruto's signal.

Naruto then pulled on the other strings and dragged them to where the rest of team nine was standing by to take on Gai, giving two each to Lee, Tenten, and himself. Neji was there to iron out their plans and change the trajectories of the kunai that Tenten will throw, Tenten had good aim and she always hit her intended targets with a 100 percent accuracy mark, so there was no need for Neji to participate in restraining Gai.

After some hushed words of good luck, Lee, came out of the brush, followed by Neji and Tenten. Naruto then wrapped the remaining wires on his left gloved hand, making the wires stick to his glove by using his chakra. He then made another shadow clone, made it henge into a lark, and ordered it to 'raise the curtain'. The lark flew upwards to the forest canopy, and twitter Naruto's war cry.

The stage for 'Gai's downfall' had just been signaled to start.

As his three teammates started their 'table-tennis of barbs' skit, Naruto observed Gai's every move, and smiled wide. Noting that the special Jounin didn't have the slightest clue of the activity between his legs, Naruto had to stifle his laughter when he saw Gai 'roll his eyes'.

"_It's funny that…if you would actually find the time to watch and observe the mannerisms of someone, you'd know more about them in those several minutes than if you would talk to them in person for an hour, day, weeks, months, or years."_ Naruto mused in his mind as he watched the ongoing 'scene'

And Maito Gai, whichever version you read -manga-, or watch -anime-, DOESN'T roll his eyes uncharacteristically.

Naruto then waited as his squirrels scampered out of the clearing, he then looked overhead and saw the twin copies of his combat knife pass by above his head. He then entered the clearing, and did his impression of Shikamaru, with a little bit of Sasuke-teme thrown in for good measure.

"_Yare yare… you were all so loud I had to cut my naptime short because of your volume. I'm here to fetch my circles. Don't get in my way…"_

That sentence started their 'attacks', as he went in first. He then swung his armed, left gloved hand, and let go of the strings that were temporarily bonded to the glove by deactivating his chakra control. The strings were a little melted at the tips, and the motion of the wires as it left Naruto's hand made it twirl around and wrap themselves around Gai's right arm, and the slightly melted tips of the metal wire bonded the wire to itself, but not loose enough that it will slip out of Gai's arm that easily. As his mission was accomplished, he gave Gai a very mischievous grin, and stepped back to let his other teammates do their part.

Naruto watched from the corner of his eyes, as Lee made his move and jump kicked Gai in the head, the Jounin dodged accordingly to his left, and as Lee entered the apex of his jump, he let go of the wires that he held in his arm, and slapped it on Gai's left arm without the Jounin feeling anything but a slight tap. Naruto was now at the edge of the thick bushes and other undergrowth beneath Konoha's towering forests, observing his teammates.

The blonde genin-to-be watched as Tenten calculated the trajectory of the kunai that she will throw; she then reared her arms and threw a kunai each, which whizzed past Gai's left shoulder blade, and right armpit. As the wired kunai passed Gai's body, Neji activated his Byakugan and threw kunai of his own, the kunai Neji threw then changed the trajectory of Tenten's kunai, making them spin around Gai's arms.

As the Jounin Taijutsu specialist took in the info of what the kunai were doing to his arms, Naruto used kage bunshin no jutsu again, and ordered four of the clones to grab all of Gai's limbs, while one clone was ordered to grab the Jounin's head and cover his eyes. Naruto then used another kage bunshin that he made to transform into a swallow, the transformed shadow clone signaling the clones up above the forest canopy to finally make the rigged logs fall down, effectively restraining Gai. Meanwhile, Naruto shouted the next signal behind the bushes.

"_Now Guys!"_

Naruto then used his ears, and listened to four simultaneous sounds of knives chopping down something, with the snap of metal and the sound of something metallic rubbing against wood, the very heavy logs Naruto rigged hoisted Gai upwards in the middle of the canopy in the speed that he had planned.

It was now time for payback.

Naruto then made six shadow clones, which acted as human catapults, and boosted his teammates upwards to their restrained, rising, and temporarily blind genin survival examiner. As he looked up at the progress of his teammates, he smiled a sad smile, and turned around for the direction of his apartment. Dismissing his clones with a nod of his head.

"_It's now or never guys, I'm going to leave the rest up to you. I'm not needed in this equation anymore."_

Using some of his left over chakra, Naruto created a single shadow clone, ordered it to backtrack and approach the clearing in another direction, and appear after a few minutes in the clearing where team nine will be, the clone's 'job' was to ask about the results of the exam from team nine and Gai-sensei, which the clone nodded in assent. The clone addressed his creator as 'Naruto-sama', nodded and began to traverse the thick bushes of the clearing, backtracking to the position of Naruto's teammates, and ask them the results of the exam.

Flashback no jutsu, kai!

Naruto looked back at the direction of training grounds nine, and smiled a sad smile. He was sure that Gai, Neji, Lee, and Tenten were celebrating right now amidst the success of their genin survival exam. Lee, Neji, and Tenten celebrating because they had passed the exam and proved that they could work together as a team, while Gai was celebrating because team nine would be the first genin team to pass his rigorous exam. He was proud of his teammates and what they have achieved together, if only he passed the exam as well…

"_It _was_ a do or die choice anyway, I'm proud of what I have achieved at that exam. I guess there's hope for me after all in becoming a competent ninja that can pull his weight on a team. If history were to repeat itself, I'd still make the same choice and sacrifice my chance to pass the exam so that my other teammates will pass."_

_I wonder what my survival exam would be like if I graduated next year, instead of this year. With my dumb luck, plus an abysmal record and ranking at the academy, I'll get teamed up with another angst-bastard worse than Neji…that would be Sasuke-teme, I guess. Worse than that is I'll also be teamed up with a Sasuke fan girl, and then it was Sakura of all the fan girls…AND my sensei will be someone with chronic tardiness, which he has turned to an art form, reads porn in front of us because of his perverseness, and then ignores MY training, and the female's training in favor of the bastards growth! I'd rather be in the genin reserve list than to have a team like that, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!_

_Well then, time shouldn't be wasted on moping around, thinking of the past and the future, and 'what should have been', or 'what could be'. You have to move forward, accept the good things and the bad things that happened to you as a part of your life, and charge it to experience. I do not let Fate and Destiny rule my life, they are just there to guide me to my ultimate goal, my life is mine, my body is mine, and my fate and destiny are what I make of it, like how the decisions I will make in my life now will have a significant effect on my future…"_

As he was contemplating on what to do next for the rest of a day, he heard some people calling his name from afar. Naruto then turned around and saw a black and light-green blur; but the latter was coming towards him at a higher speed than the former. He recognized one of the blurs as his shadow clone. But he had no time to recognize the light green blur, as it literally 'glomped' him.

"Naruto-sama! Abunai!" Said the running shadow clone, which was left in the dust by Lee's speed.

-CRASH-

"Naruto-kun! Daijoubu ka?" Said Lee as he got off from Naruto's prone position on the ground; the blonde's current predicament was very much like Neji's a few hours ago, swirly-eyed and dizzy. Tenten, Neji, and the Naruto clone eventually caught up with Lee, they then looked down at Naruto's unconscious state, and grinned. Neji's grin was more of a triumphant smirk, as he looked at the swirls on Naruto's eyes. Seeing the look on Neji's face and the current state of Naruto, Tenten berated her now official teammates.

"Don't look so smug, you were in the same position a while ago when we 'rescued' you. And Lee, why did you tackle him so hard? Now we're going to have a hard time carrying him back to Gai-sensei." Tenten asked in an exasperated tone, Neji's smug smirk turned into an inquisitive frown, while Lee bowed his head in remorse.

"Gomenasai, I was just so happy to have located him! I wanted to thank him for what he has done for us. He decided at once that he was going to be the one to fail. But I'm so happy because-"

"Naruto-sama!"

The trio of genins looked down, and saw Naruto getting up from his 'nap' on the ground, the shadow clone then helped him dust off, the blonde giving the clone a silent nod of thanks, which the clone returned with a salute. The shadow clone disappeared in a poof of smoke after saying goodbye to his master, which Naruto didn't expect.

"Oi! Chotto-matte!" After this exclamation, Naruto sighed in exasperation.

"Oh well, I guess he left because you're all here to tell me the results of the exam. So, did Gai-sensei pass all of you?" He asked his 'ex-team mates', who nodded in unison.

"Gai-sensei said I had the most potential in Taijutsu out of the four of us! His encouragement really had me smiling when he said that." Lee exclaimed with tears in his eyes, as he recalled Gai's praise.

"He said that I had the finesse and the accuracy of a weapons master." Tenten explained as she grinned in remembrance, she was actually feeling giddy inside because of Gai's appraisal at her skills.

"He then said that I was a prodigy in the Hyuuga Jyuuken Ryu, and that I was the most proficient in the style at my age and skill level, but I knew that already. What?" Neji asked as Lee, Tenten, and Naruto didn't say anything. Saying nothing at all, but just rolled their eyes in synch. Naruto decided to pick up the conversation where it left off.

"I guess it's a rather nice assessment of your skills, but what did he say about mine?" The blonde kitsune inquired at his teammates. Lee decided to answer his friend.

"Naruto-kun, Gai-sensei declared that you had the knack for devious planning! He then said that your stamina is of insane proportions, and that we would all have trouble to keep up with your exuberant energy!" Naruto grinned at the fair assessment of his abilities. He then realized that Gai wasn't with them. Naruto then proceeded to ask his teammates of Gai's current location.

"I see…but, where _is_ Gai-sensei at the moment?" The blonde asked the trio.

There was a pregnant pause and the chirping of crickets, as three fourths of team nine pondered their answers.

Naruto had a sweat-drop on his head as he figured out the answer.

"He's still strung up in mid-air, waiting for us to return so that we can free him from the trap that we set, right?" Tenten and Lee nodded at him with hints of pink on their faces, while Neji just "Hn"-ed with his nod. Naruto chuckled and beckoned Team Nine with his hand.

"Let's hop to it then, so that after we are done, I can relax with a nice bowl of ramen." Naruto smirked at Tenten and Lee's sheepish grins, while Neji had that arrogant smirk on his face. Naruto then sighed and headed for the direction of training grounds nine, the trio of genins wordlessly following behind him. As Lee, Tenten, and Neji followed Naruto back to Gai's location, Tenten then asked the two boys whether or not to tell Naruto that he passed. Neji replied logically.

"I think it is better for Gai-sensei to pass him officially in person, than for us to tell him that he passed the exam ourselves. That way we can gauge his reaction, when we caught up to him, I noticed that he seemed depressed and defeated. So he wouldn't believe us outright unless we repeatedly told him that he passed, which I think would be a waste of time, breath, and energy." Tenten and Lee nodded at their teammate's wise recommendation, and proceeded to follow Naruto in silence.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Asuma was observing the progress of the academy graduates that were given to him. His test was simple, but tricky. His exam forced the graduates to work together, but in a subtle way, so that the graduates won't figure it out until after the exam. The current team was handling it in a so-so way. (READ: They were failing.) But as they were about to reach their goal, the timer rang, signaling their failure. The prize the genin were reaching for puffed out in ninja smoke. Their surprise and shock resulted in their fall from the pole they were climbing. The genins' bodies were intertwined in a tangle of limbs and torso. Asuma sighed and got up from where he was watching their progress on the mid-chuunin level obstacle course. (1)

"Sorry team 4, but you fail the genin test." Asuma held up his hand at the starting round of protests and shouting from the group. "I'm really sorry you three, but you're not ready to be genin yet."

"Why did we fail, Asuma-sensei?" Asked the calmest of the three genin, Asuma looked long and hard at Hikaru Meiji, before reaching for a stick of cigarette, putting it in his mouth and holding it with his lips.

"Before I answer your question, let's see what you learned during the test. Kuroda, what is the purpose of this exercise?" the Jounin nodded his head to the team's self-appointed leader. Kuroda Masato, according to his test scores in the academy, had difficulties in analyzing unfamiliar situations and forming a solution to the info he had. The graduate had average scores in taijutsu, slightly above average ninjutsu, and low in genjutsu.

"Umm…to see how fast we get to the prize at the end of the maze?" Asuma shook his head, turning to the third member, Aoyama Misao, the female of the group. Her test scores show much potential in genjutsu and medic jutsu, average taijutsu, but below average ninjutsu

"Etou…you planned to test our endurance during the exercise?" Once again, the Jounin shook his head and sighed, taking a long draw from his stick that promised complications when he reached old age, he nodded his head back to Meiji, who had begun to think when Asuma posed the question to his two comrades. Meiji was the most intelligent of the three, but his test scores showed that he was slightly below-average in nin, gen, and taijutsu, The only strong point going for him was his ability to think through stressful scenarios with low info, and plan accordingly. A budding strategist, given the right time and resources and the right Jounin sensei, he would be a big asset to Konohagakure's tactics department.

Unfortunately, he'll have to wait next year to hone his skills.

"Well, we were put together on the obstacle course in separate locations, forced to find each other, navigate the center pole and reach the top of the pole where the prize was, and make it out before the timer signaled the end of the test." The academy graduate continued to ponder the scenario, until his face brightened. "The separation on the maze, the obstacle course, the pole, and the prize at the top of the pole…it was all a clever ploy to make us work together, right sensei?" Asuma nodded at Meiji, who smiled and secretly congratulated himself. Masato narrowed his eyes at the latter, as if challenging the other boy to a fight.

"But what's so important about team work? We've been working our butts off for six years in the academy. Why teach us _now_ how to work together?" Asuma was about to answer himself when Meiji cut him off.

"The six years of academy training was crucial, as it gave us time to train our individual skills. Remember when we did those spars and exercises together in pairs, or in groups of three or more?" The other two nodded at his question. "That was to prepare us to work together after six years of training. When the exit exams are over, our chuunin-sensei takes our individual scores and judges our strengths and weaknesses. They then sort us out into teams of three according to the score in our exams, after they find a balance in our skills and attributes. They do this so that no team will have an unfair advantage on other teams." Masato and Misao nodded in understanding, and Meiji continued his analysis of the exam at the urging of the two.

"Question: in terms of our individual skills, can you defeat a Jounin level ninja, like Asuma-sensei, on your own?" The others pondered about it for two minutes or so, and then shook their heads in the negative. Asuma smiled as Meiji continued. "That's an honest answer, guys. Technically, you can't defeat a ninja that's higher than your own level. But in theory, three genin-level ninja can over-power a Jounin-level ninja, as long as they're working together. That's why we're put into teams of three. I hope that's a good enough explanation guys. Do you have anything else to add to what I said, Asuma-sensei?" Meiji asked Asuma as he got up from where he was sitting in the grass. Asuma took another long draw from his cig.

"I guess you've said most of it already, Meiji. But I've got something more to add before we call it a day." Asuma motioned for team 4 to follow him. They walked single file behind the Jounin, each lost to his or her own thoughts. At the cenotaph, they saw another genin team walking away from a man similarly dressed like Asuma. The Jounin introduced team 4 to the copy ninja. "This is the legendary Hatake Kakashi, also known as the copy ninja, Sharingan no Kakashi. Kakashi, meet team 4, they failed the test this afternoon." Kakashi and team 4 acknowledged each other by nodding once. Kakashi then turned to his colleague as his lone exposed eye upturned in a smile.

"Well, team 7 failed again this year. This year's batch hasn't got an ounce of teamwork in them. I take it you're here to show them the memorial stone?" Asuma nodded as Kakashi absently felt for familiar names engraved in the large stone. "I'll see you at the lounge then. Later!" Kakashi then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Asuma smiled wistfully as he beckoned the team to where Kakashi was standing moments earlier.

"Ok then, walk over here next to me and feel some of the names engraved on this stone." Masato was the first to touch the hard and cold stone, the barely legible letters engraved on the memorial, which wore on with the passing of time and the power of the elements.

"Kuroda Mizuho, my great-aunt." Masato gazed at the stone memorial in awe and surprise. The legend of his great aunt had been told from generation to generation. Spearheading the hunter-nins, she brought back more missing nin than any other hunter-nin before or after her death. Her record of capturing and disposing of missing nins hasn't been challenged for 6 years running. Meiji was the next one to touch the stone, settling on a newer name.

"Hikaru Genji, my aniki" Meiji bit back tears as he remembered the funeral for his older brother. Almost all of his family were ninja, and were either sent to the scouting division, or the strategies and tactics division on the Hokage tower. He died protecting the last of their team, desperate to bring back critical information from the battlefield to the Hokage.

"Aoyama Misora, okaa-sama…" Misao touched the name of her mother with much love and respect. Misora had been one of the successful kunoichi of her graduating class, joining ANBU and becoming the captain of her own squad after only a year of service. She died defending her team from a group of A-Class missing nin, gravely injuring 3 to death, and making sure the rest were crippled beyond healing. All of her team survived, except for her. Asuma smiled a sad smile as his touch drifted to a familiar name: Sarutobi Hanako. A wisp of prayer left his lips, then turned around as he let go of the stone memorial, which acted like a massive headstone for the ninja who had been freed from the mortality of their world.

"This stone memorial; and the cenotaph near it symbolize our ideals as a ninja village. The familiar names you have touched, and the not so familiar names that were engraved in this stone block, are the names of the shinobi who died for our cause. This was done so that we would never forget the sacrifice they have given, so that we could go on and live in their place, and fulfill their dreams and wishes that they will never realize." The Jounin took a breath on his newly lit cig, and then put his hand on top of the stone.

"In the world of shinobi, those who don't follow the rules are called trash. But, those who abandon their comrades…are worse than trash. Always remember that, just some food for thought when you take your next genin exam from a Jounin." Dusting off his ninja outfit, he extended a hand to Meiji. "Better luck next year team four. You really had it near the end, you just ran out of time." Meiji grasped Asuma's hand and shook it a few times, before disengaging and bowing before the Jounin.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Asuma-sensei In behalf of our team, we thank you for taking the time to test our skills. We may have failed your exam, but what we have learned today will prove invaluable to our careers as ninja. We'll try our hardest to pass next year. Won't we guys?" Masato and Misora nodded together, and approached Asuma to shake his hand. As one, team 4 bowed one last time, before taking off for their individual homes. Asuma lingered for a while as he listened to their voices, fading as they walked further away from the cenotaph.

"After I pass next year, my next goal is going to be the ANBU corps!"

"Why not medic nin or genjutsu specialist?"

"I'm going to be the next Hunter-nin to break my aunt's record."

"Is that so? Well I'm going to be the next department head for tactics and strategies division!"

"You wish, Hikaru!"

Asuma took a slight draw from his cig, looking up at the afternoon sky. A smile playing on his lips as it held his cancer stick. After putting the stub out, he vanished in a poof of smoke.

Tsuzuku…

(1.) In the fanfiction 'For the love of my friends' by foxie-sama, Asuma's genin test was to put his assigned genin through an obstacle course, I modified it a little by having a prize they were supposed to get as a team in the end.

A/N: Not my best chapter, still not finished as well.

Words:

Abunai – means "Watch out!" or "It's dangerous!"

-sama – Honorific, used to address people with high authority, or someone you respect with high regard.

Aniki – Honorific, used to address your older brother.

Okaa-sama –Honorific, used to address your mother (Okaa-san)

Daijoubu ka? – "Are you ok/alright?"

Sensei – Used to address someone who is teaching you. It's primarily used by apprentices to address their masters.

Chotto-matte – "Wait a minute/moment"

Tsuzuku… - To be continued…


End file.
